A 



1^' 



JOURNAL 

OF A 

RESIDENCE IN CHINA 

AND THE 

NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES 

FROM 

1830 TO 1833. 



BY DAVID ABEEL, 

MINISTER OF THE DUTCH CHURCH IN NORTH AMERICA, 
AND MISSIONARY OF THE AMERICAN BOARD OF MISSIONS IK) 
SOUTH-EASTERN ASIA. 



REVISED AND REPRINTED FROM THE AMERICAN EEITIOVj 
WITH 

AN INTRODUCTORY ESSAY 

BY THE 

HON. AND REV. BAPTIST WRIOTHESLEY NOEL, M.A. 

MINISTER OF ST. JOHN'S CHAPEL, BEDFORD ROW. 



LONDON: 

JAMES NISBET AND CO., BERNERS STREET. 

MDCCCXXXV. 



INTRODUCTIOX. 

Besides the intrinsic value of the information afforded 
in the following narrative, it derives further interest 
from relating to a part of the world with which we 
are so little- acquainted. It is to be regretted that 
the author has not always mentioned his authorities 
for the interesting facts which he has stated respecting 
those islands of the Archipelago which he did not 
personally visit, and, should this work reach a second 
edition in America, it is to be hoped that the deside- 
ratum will be supplied. 

There is a slight difference between this edition of 
the work and that which has been published in 
America ; some obscure expressions having been 
omitted, and a few words, more commonly employed 
by American authors than by those of this country, 
having been changed into those synonymes with 
which the ear of an English reader is more familiar. 

The principal places visited by Mr. Abeel were 
Canton, Macao, Batavia, Singapore, Malacca, and 
Bankok, each of which affords a wide sphere of 
missionary exertion. A few^ statistical details, illus- 
trative of their civil and religious condition, may 



vi 



INTRODUCTION. 



contribute to the interest of his narrative, and prove 
acceptable to the reader : to which may be added a 
short notice of Penang, as one of the chief spheres 
of British Missionary effort in that part of the world. 

Canton and Macao. — The unbridled insolence 
of the local government at Canton, towards all 
foreigners, has imparted to the population generally 
a contempt for Europeans which is not found among 
the inhabitants of either of the other maritime pro- 
vinces*. This circumstance renders Canton a less 
promising field of labour than, from the amount of 
its population and the extent of its trade, it otherwise 
would be. 

The jealousy of the Portuguese Government of 
Macao circumscribes the efforts of a missionary there 
also ; and, to the day of his lamented death. Dr. 
Morrison had little opportunity of preaching the 
Gospel openly to the Chinese : yet his invaluable 
labours have prepared the way for all future mis- 
sionaries to the Chinese empire. By his two great 
works, the Translation of the Bible into the Chinese 
Language, and his English and Chinese Dictionary, 
together with the Grammar which he formed, he has 
rendered that language easily accessible to every 
student, has materially abridged the term during 
which a missionary to that country must be content 
to learn rather than to teach, and has provided the 

* See Voyage of the Amherst; pp. 31 — 35, &c. 



INTRODUCTION. 



Vll 



missionary body with the very best means of com- 
municating instruction to that reading people. 

The existence of a small church at Canton, hke- 
wise, proves that the Lord still works, according to 
His promise, with the ministers of His Gospel ^. / 
The Chinese converts who have made a Christian 
profession by baptism, assemble every Sabbath for 
Divine worship, under the care of Leang Afa, who 
has for some years given himself to the work of the 
ministry. Le Asin, a young convert, begins to be 
useful to his countrymen — Choo-Sean-Sang calls his 
family to join him in prayer, and reads with them the 
Scriptures — Agong, one of the converts, distributes 
Christian tracts among his heathen connexions — and 
Leang Afa is indefatigable in his ministry f. 

In May 1830, with another Chinese Christian, he 
travelled into the interior, distributing Chinese books 
in the towns and villages. On the 11th of June he 
entered the town of Kaou-Chow-Foo, a hundred and 
twenty miles distant fromCanton, accompanied by three 
porters, who carried his Christian books. It was the 
day of the examination of the candidates for literary 
honours from all the adjacent country. Leang Afa 
distributed his books among the students who came 
to the examination, remained in the place till July, 
and then returned to Canton J. In October, 1833, a 

* Matt, xxviii. 19, '20; Mark xvi. 20. 
f Thirty-ninth and Fortieth Reports of London Missionary Society. 
I Missionary Ancual for 1834, p, 117. 



via 



INTRODUCTION. 



similar meeting was held in this city for the district 
of Kwang-Chow-Foo. On this occasion Leang Afa 
and two of his friends distributed the Scriptures and 
religious tracts to multitudes of the literary candi- 
dates, some of whom had come from towns and vil- 
lages a hundred miles distant. The books were given 
publicly, and were eagerly received. Some even 
returned to beg for more ^. 

The ministry of Leang Afa is rendered the more 
interesting by the fact that soon after the commence- 
ment of his Christian labours he was called to endure 
persecution. Having written an essay entitled The 
True Principles of the World's Salvation/' he printed 
at Canton a hundred copies for distribution. Before, 
however, he was able to distribute them, the blocks 
and the books were seized by the Police. He was 
then apprehended himself, and thus describes the 
treatment which he received from the authorities :— 
I was brought before a Mandarin for trial, who told 
me that my books about Jesus, and my believing in the 
doctrines of Jesus, were a violation of the law. After 
trial, I was put into a guard-room ; yet, while there, 
I thought to myself, ^ This is a book of the true 
doctrine of Jesus, the Saviour of the world, which 
exhorts men to turn from vice and become good : 
why should I be persecuted ? ' I afterwards induced 
the Minister (Dr. Morrison) to interest persons to 
speak to the Mandarin on my behalf, and to liberate 



Fortieth Report of the London Missionary Society. 



INTRODUCTION. 



ix 



me. At length they hstened to my friends, and, after 
giving me thirty blows with the bamboo, and beating 
the soles of my feet till the blood flowed, I was libe- 
rated. To suffer thus was hard ; and, besides this, 
the mandarins and police-officers extorted from me 
seventy dollars. But, after I had suffered persecution 
and loss of property, I did not presume to turn my 
back on the Lord Jesus Christ, and the great mercy 
of his redeeming love and merits, but accounted my- 
self a sinner, suffering the punishment due to sin*." 
Since that time he has only been more zealous in the 
cause of Christ. 

Though the Mission has lost, by the death of Dr. 
Morrison, an experienced, prudent, and devoted head, 
yet Leang Afa is still sustained by the friendship and 
counsel of the two missionaries from the American 
Board of Missions, Mr. Bridgman and Dr. Parker -t-. 

Java. — Nearly the whole of this island is subject 
to the King of Holland. Throughout the whole of 
the Dutch territory there are Chinese settlers, most 
inadequately provided with missionary instruction. 
The Dutch Governors have been successively favour- 
able to the labours of Mr. Medhurst, the missionary 
of the London Society, stationed at Batavia. The 
mission is of slow growth ; but Mr. Medhurst has 
surmounted many discouragements, and does the 

* Mi ssioDary xAnnual for 1834, p. 115. 
t Missionary Register, Feb. 1835, p. 94. 

A 5 



X 



INTRODUCTION.- 



work of an evangelist with intelligence, assiduity, 
and zeal. He has two assistants, — Mr. Young, an 
European ; and Lucas Mouton, a native Christian. 
There are eight services during the week, attended, 
when the different congregations are reckoned toge- 
ther, by about five hundred persons, European, Malay, 
and Chinese. Of these about a hundred and twenty 
are native Christians. Six natives of Celebes, resi- 
dent at Batavia, were baptized in the year 1833, and 
twelve more were desirous of receiving that ordinance. 
Six native Christians have been admitted to the 
Lord's Table, and six more have professed their desire 
to join them. The European communicants are nine. 
In a neighbouring place, visited by Mr. Medhurst, 
and without a missionary, there are sixty commu- 
nicants. Two Chinese schools, attached to the mis- 
sion, contain forty children. There is an Enghsh day 
school consisting of thirty children ; and a European 
orphan school, of fifteen orphans, has lately been 
placed under his superintendence. The missionary 
press is in active operation, and the books and tracts 
distributed in the year 1833 amounted to 18,092 

Malacca, PENANG,and Singapore, as British 
settlements, are still more interesting to the English 
reader. They have all risen rapidly in population and 
importance since their connexion with England. 



* Fortieth Report of the London Missionary Society. 



INTRODUCTION. 



Malacca was ceded to the British by the Dutch 
in 1825. The town is situated in X. Lat, 2 deg. 14 
min._,and E. Long. 102 deg. 12 min. The territory- 
extends about forty miles along the coast, and about 
thirty miles inland ; containing an area of eight 
hundred square miles. The interior is mountainous ; 
the climate healthy; andthe thermometer ranges from 
72 des;. to 85 deo'. throus:hout the vear. 

In 1815 the population was 16,876; in 1817, 
19,627; in 1822, 22,000; and, by the latest return 
at the India-House, it now amounts to 34,606. Of 
these 34,606 persons, 22,874 are Malays and Bugis, 
4,748 Chinese, and 229 Europeans, or of European 
descent. The rest are Siamese, Battas, Arabs, Hin- 
doos, Sepoys, Indo-Portuguese, Sec. &c. 

As the experiment of Chinese female schools has 
been chiefly tried at Malacca, it may be interesting 
to the reader to see the following analysis of the 
Chinese population of the settlement in 1826. 

Men, married 736 Vv'omen^ married. . . . 848 

unmarried 1419 unmarried... 693 

Boys 732 Girls 578 

2887 2119 * 

At this settlement there has been a mission of the 
London Missionary Society since the year 1815, when 
it was commenced by Dr. Milne. In 1816 Dr. 



* Martin's History of the Colonies, vol. i. p, 422, &c. 



INTRODUCTION. 



Morrison and Dr, Milne founded the Anglo-Chinese 
College, to the erection of which Dr. Morrison gave 
1000/. with an annual subscription of 100/. for five 
years. It was designed to facilitate the acquisition 
of the English language and of European literature 
by Chinese students, and to help European students 
in the study of the Chinese language and Hterature. 
It is open to European students of every religious 
denomination, as well as to Chinese ; and at the time 
of the latest accounts there were thirty students. 
The two missionaries of the station are Mr, Huglj^es 
and Mr. Evans. 

The last accounts of the schools, published by the 
London Missionary Society, state that there were 
then four schools for Chinese boys. Besides these, 
there were five schools for Chinese girls, flourish- 
ing under the superintendence of Miss Wallace. 
That lady has since accepted the invitation of some 
American merchants at Canton, to become their agent 
in promoting female education in Siam ; but the 
Society for promoting Female Education in the East 
(a Society which is calculated to afford most useful 
assistance to the Missions in India and the Eastern 
Archipelago, and eventually, should China admit of 
Protestant exertion, to those which may be planted 
in that empire) is preparing to send out another lady, 
to take the place which she has left vacant. Besides 
the Chinese schools, there are four others for Malay 



INTRODUCTION. 



Xlll 



children, and the whole number of children under 
Christian instruction is five hundred^^. 

Penang. — Penang, a picturesque island, situated 
about N. Lat. 5 deg. and E. Long. 100 deg., contains 
about a hundred and sixty square miles ; its greatest 
length being sixteen miles, and its greatest breadth 
twelve. Though the central region is mountainous, 
the island is generally fertile, clothed with luxuriant 
wood or rich vegetation. Georgetown, the capital, 
is^situated v^ithin a capacious harbour with good 
anchorage, on the East coast. It is a neat and well- 
built town, of which the principal shopkeepers are 
Chinese. The climate is healthy, and the thermometer 
ranges from 76 to 90 degrees. When the island 
came into the possession of the East-India Company, 
in 1786, a few miserable Malay fishermen were the 
only tenants : at present the inhabitants amount to 
33,560, of whom 500 are Europeans, and 8989 
Chinese f. 

In 1819 Messrs. Beighton and Ince were sent 
thither by the London Missionary Society ; Mr. 
Beighton as missionary to the Malays, and Mr. Ince 
to the Chinese. Mr. Beighton continues his useful 
labours to this day. Mr. Ince, a valuable and deyoted 
missionary, died in April 1825, and has been succeeded 
by Mr. Dyer. There are six Malay schools, in which 

* Fortieth Report of the London Missionary Society, 
t Martin, vol. i. p. 411,&c. 



xiv 



INTRODUCTION. 



two hundred and six children are taught, of whom 
forty-three are girls ; and four Chinese schools, in 
which there are twenty-three boys and thirty-two 
girls. To the support of these schools the Govern- 
ment contributes thirty dollars monthly. A mission 
chapel has been built. There is a mission press, 
and many Christian books have been circulated. 
Thirteen natives have been admitted into the Christian 
church by baptism ; and the English congregation 
consists of about seventy, of whom nine are com- 
municants ^, 

Singapore. — -The island of Singapore is situated 
between 1 and 2 degrees N. Lat. and between 103 
and 104 degrees E. Long. It has an area of two 
hundred and seventy square miles; its greatest length 
being about twenty-seven miles from east to west, 
and its greatest breadth fifteen. It is still generally 
covered with jungle, being at the same time low and 
marshy : yet the town has proved healthy. The 
thermometer ranges from 71 to 89 degrees. The 
settlement was finally ceded to the British in 1825, 
by the Dutch, and by the Malay Princes of the op- 
posite coast of the Peninsula. 

When the settlement was formed, in 1818, there 
were only 150 Malay fishermen on the island. By 
the census of 1833 the population had then amounted 



* Fortieth Repoit of the London Missionary Society. 



INTRODUCTION. 



XY 



to 20,917: the Europeans being 119, the Indo- 
Britons 96, the Malays 7131, the Chinese 8517 (of 
which the males were 7650, the females 867), and 
the remainder were Armenians, Arabs, Hindoos, 
Bugis, Javanese, &c. &c. The town consists gene- 
rally of stone houses, two stories high. On the 
east side of the harbour, enterprising British mer- 
chants are erecting substantial and ornamental houses 
fronting the sea. The ground is generally raised 
three feet ; and the mansions have a superb entrance, 
by an ascent of granite stairs ; then an elegant por- 
tico, supported by magnificent Grecian columns : 
the rooms are^lofty, with Venetian windows down to 
the floor, and furnished in a luxurious manner; each 
tenement provided with its baths, billiard-tables, &c.; 
while the grounds are tastily laid out with shrubs of 
beautiful foliage^." 

The leading merchants, agents, shopkeepers, and 
auctioneers, are Englishmen. There are several 
wealthy Chinese merchants ; and the bulk of the 
shopkeepers, and the most valuable part of the citizens, 
are Chinese, nearly 5000 of whom arrive annually 
from China by the yearly trading j unks. About 1 000 
remain at Singapore, and the remainder disperse 
themselves over the neighbouring^ islands f. Besides 
these junks from China, about twenty-six Chinese 
junks come from Cochin-China, Cambodjia, and 



* Martin, vol i. p. 427, &.c. + Ibid. p. 432, 



xvi 



INTRODUCTION. 



Hainan From May 1830 to May 1831, thirty-six 
others entered the port from Siamf . Indeed, Singa- 
pore is the emporium of a trade with the whole 
Eastern Archipelago. At one part of the year, a 
hundred and forty native vessels have been observed 
to come in monthly from fortydifferent ports of Borneo, 
Celebes, the Moluccas, Sumatra, China, Cochin- 
China, Siam, and Malayala J. Altogether, the set- 
tlement exports goods to the amount of 3,000,000/. 
sterling §. 

There is a mission chapel and printing press. An 
immense distribution has been made of Christian 
books, both among the heathen population of the 
settlement and among the Chinese sailors, who re- 
ceive them eagerly. In 1832 there were three Chinese 
schools — two for boys, who were taught in the Canton 
and Fuhkeen dialects ; and one for girls. This last 
was then under the superintendence of Miss Martyn ; 
but as that lady has since married, the native female 
schools are now without a superintendant. The 
mission has suffered much by the sickness of the 

* Martin, vol. i. p. 439. The island of Hainan, which must not 
be confounded with Hainam, a small island in the Canton River 
(mentioned at p. 70 of this journal), invites the serious attention of 
Missionary Societies. The inhabitants, who are chiefly descended 
from Fuhkien emigrants, are cheerful, kind, friendly, clean, and 
industrious. Mr. GutzlafF saw many of them at Bankok : they 
willingly conversed upon the subject of religion, eagerly read the 
Christian bobks which he gave them, and some of them invited 
him to visit their country. — Gutzlaff 's Voyages, pp. 82, 83. 
+ Martin, vol.i.p. 436. 
X Missionary Register, Feb. 1835, p. 95. 
, § Martin, vol. i p. 440, 



INTRODUCTION. 



XVll 



missionaries ; and the labours of the present mis- 
sionary, Mr. Thomsen, were, at the time of the last 
report, much restricted by debility ^. 

SiAM. — The kingdom of Siam is an important 
sphere for missionary labour, not merely from the 
amount of its population, but also from its extensive 
intercourse with China. This empire has 2,790,500 
inhabitants of different nations, of which 401,300 
form the population of Bankok, the capital f. The 
Singapore Chronicle thus describes the capacities of 
the country : — " The tea-tree grows as luxuriantly 
here as in China. The silk-worm, too, abounds — 
also the mulberry-tree — all wild . . . • In this country 
there must be mines of silver and gold ; of silver, it 
is evident, for several told us that in the rainy season, 
when the ground is drenched, pieces of silver are 
found as large as a tickal. Indigo, too, is luxuriant f 
so also is the coffee plant. The fruits all grow wild ; 
still they are much finer and more numerous than I 
have met with elsewhere. ... Of the mangoes there are 
thirty species, most delicious. Several species of the 
mangosteen, oranges, 8cc. abound — all wild. In fact, 
this exuberant country, in the hands of Europeans, 
might become a perfect Paradise, and a mart for half 
the world. Cotton is plentiful, and as fine as silk ; 
it is short, but it is wild .... The country is quiet, the 

* Fortieth Report of the London Missionary Society, 
t Preface to GatzlafF's Voyages, pp. xi. xii. 



xvm 



INTRODUCTION. 



productions are abundant, and the river at Bankok 
crowded with Chinese junks Hence it has at- 
tracted many Chinese settlers. Of the 401,300 
inhabitants of Bankok, 310,000 are Chinese, 50,000 
more are of Chinese origin ; and about eighty junks 
arrive annually from the different ports of China f. 

In August 1828 Mr. Gutzlaff first visited that 
capital, and staid there for some months. In the 
beginning of 1830 he paid it a second missionary 
visit. There, in February 1831, Mrs. Gutzlaff was 
called to her eternal home, but not before she had 
prepared for the press a dictionary of the Annam 
language, a Chinese tract, and an English and Chi- 
nese dictionary. Meanwhile Mr. Gutzlaff had com- 
piled an English and Siamese dictionary, and had 
translated the New Testament into Siamese. This 
work, which is read with ease, and understood by 
natives of all ranks, is now printing at Malacca J. 

Since Mr. Abeel's departure from Bankok, the 
American Board of Missions have appointed Messrs. 
Robinson and Johnson, with Dr. Bradley, M.D., 
missionaries to that place. These gentlemen reached 
Singapore in the autumn of 1833, and entered on the 
study of the Chinese language §. Miss Wallace also 
has consented to undertake the superintendence of 
the female schools of the Siamese mission. 



* Martin, vol. i. p. 436. 
t Preface to GutzlafF's Voyages, p. xi. 
J Missionary Register, Feb. 1835. p. 90. § Ibid. p. 95. 



INTKODUCTION. 



xix 



From these slight notices it may sufficiently appear 
that in each of these places there is enough for the 
missionary to do. But these are not the only settle- 
ments of the Chinese in the Eastern Archipelago. 
By the last census, in 1825, which is with good 
reason thought rather to underrate the amount of the 
population, China Proper, exclusive of Tartary and 
of the colonies, is said to contain 352,866,012 inha- 
bitants ^. This number gives a population of 288 
to the square mile ; rather more crowded than that of 
England, and rather less so than that of Ireland ; the 
former being 257 to the square mile, and the latter 
292. Hence the emigration from China, as from 
England and Ireland, is very considerable. Thou- 
sands annually leave the maritime provinces, Canton, 
Fuhkeen, Chekeang, and Keangnan, to settle in the 
Archipelago ; and the colonial settlers are already 
numerous : Mr. Crawford, the late Resident at Singa- 
pore, has estimated the numbers to be as follows : — 

Philippine Islands 15,000 Penang 8,500 

Borneo 120,000 Malayala 40,000 

Java 45,000 Siam 440,000 

Rhio , 18,000 Cochin-Cbina .. 15,000 

Singapore 6,200 Tonquin 25,000 

Malacca 2,000 Total 734,700t 

Many of these colonists return to China t — whence 
it appears, that, should any of them be brought to the 
knowledge of Christ, they may become missionaries 



* Martin, vol. i. p. 447. f Ibid. p. 450. X Ibid. 



XX 



INTRODUCTION. 



to their own country ; and thus China may be in- 
directly evangelized, even though foreigners should 
continue to be rigidly excluded from her shores. The 
Missionary Leang Afa received the knowledge of the 
truth while resident at Malacca. 

Mr. Abeel, however, in this work, expresses an 
opinion that China itself may be entered by European 
missionaries. Mr. GutzlafF has certainly spent whole 
months in the maritime provinces of that empire, 
making long excursions among the villages, freely 
conversing with the people, and distributing thou- 
sands of Christian books to persons eager to receive 
and read them. He is persuaded that other mis- 
sionaries might do the same. And while he is 
himself meditating a journey through the whole 
of Central China, up to Thibet and Bengal," he says 
that another German, who has joined the Chinese 
mission, may possibly settle in one of the northern 
provinces ^. That which has apparently most con- 
tributed, under God, to his success hitherto, has been 
his perfect acquaintance with different dialects of 
the Chinese language, his familiarity with their most 
esteemed classical authors, and his knowledge of 
medicine. Any one possessed of these qualifications, 
with equal faith and equal kindness, might in all 
probabihty safely follow his steps. 

May God, in mercy to that empire, raise up suitable 
agents for this great work ! And, if w^e may judge by 



* Missionary Register, Feb. 1835, pp. 86, 87, 



INTRODUCTION. 



xxi 



the repeated experience of Mr. Gutzlaff along the 
whole Chinese coast, they may make the medical 
dispensary a better protection than the presence of a 
British seventy-four, and the affections of the people 
will be more than a substitute for the patronage of 
the Emperor. How much, apparently, of the future 
welfare of China, depends upon a few Christian men 
being now found, who, uniting capacity, courage, 
and devoted zeal, with prudence and gentleness, 
may perseveringly attempt to plant missions along 
her coasts. May the Lord of the harvest send 
forth labourers into his harvest " — constrain the des- 
potic rulers of the land to favour them — and, beyond 
all our anticipations, guide that immense people to 
the savino; knowledo;e of the Lord Jesus Christ ! 



CO^fTENTS. 



PREFACE page x 



CHAP. I. — Departure from Ne \v- York. . Divine service on 
board .. Island of St. Paul.. Amsterdam .. Sandal- wood 
Island . . Ombay Passage, . Islands of Flores,Solor, Lomblem, 
Ombay, Timor, Cambing, Baby. . Early Roman Catholic 
missions on these islands. . Portuguese Xavier. . Dutch con- 

- quests. . Dutch missions. . Zeal of the early missionaries.. 
Declension during the eighteenth century. . Present missions 
of the Dutch on Timor, Rotti, Letty, Moa, Kesser, and 
Roma. . Band a Sea and Islands. . Arroo group. . Booro. . Am- 
boyna : Mr. Kara. . Manippa. . Ceram. .Ternati. . Efforts of 
the Netherlands Missionary Society. . New Guinea. . Waijoo 
. . Plans for the conversion of these islands. . Pelew Islands 
and natives 



CHAP.II. — Chinese fishing boats. . Formosa. . Ladrone Islands 
. . Chinese pilots. . Lintin. . Opium-trade. . Macao. . Descrip- 
tion and history of the city. .Catholicism. .Superstitions. . 
Passage in small Chinese boat to Wharapoa. . Foreign ship- 
pine. . Objects on the way. . Night scene. . Arrival at Canton 
. . Dr. Morrison c 

' CHAP. III. — Description of Canton and its vicinity. . Religions 
of China. . Appearance of the women. . Beggars. . Foreign 
factories. . Open space before them . . Possibility of intercourse 
with the people. .Appearance of the river. . Crowds of boats 



xxiv 



CONTENTS. 



. . Island of Hainam. . Chinese temple. . Chinese merchants. . 
Mode of speaking English. . Appearance and dress of the 
men and women page 47 

CHAP. IV. — Worship in English. . Ah-see. .Monthly prayer 
meeting. . Preaching at Whampoa. .Whampoa Island. . 
French ditto. , Danes ditto. . Processions, burial, hymeneal, 
and religious. . LeangAfa. . Drama. . Watune's-day. . Macao 
.. Procession .. Return to Canton. .Houses of the Hong 
mercliants. . Illuminated boats. . Festivals and ceremonies. . 
God of fire. . Decorations of the streets. . Ballad singing , . 77 

CHAP. V. — Female infanticide. . Condition of the women. . 
Cruel punishments. .Number and condition of prisoners. . 108 

CHAP. VI. — Missionary labours at Canton and Whampoa, . 
Appeal in behalf of China. .What ought to be done 114 

CHAP. VII. — Passage to Java. . Mode of dealing with sailors 
. .American sailor. . Impropriety of sending boys to sea. . 
Cochin-China . . Sumatra 122 

CHAP. VIII. — Angier, . Journey to Batavia. .Travelling. . 
Wildness of the country. . Large estate. . Batavia. . Mr. 
Med hurst. . Java as a missionary field. . Population. . 
Language. . Chief towns. .The missionary's daily labours. . 
Chinese . . Hospital . . Market-places . . Prison . . Chinese 
new-year. . Popular deities. . Infanticide in China. .Visit to a 
bazaar in the country to distribute tracts. . Interview with 
Cochin-Chinese. . Catholicism in Cochin-China. . Tour to 
another market-place. .Protestant Portuguese settlement. . 
Service in the Dutch church. . Chinese sacrifice at the graves 
of their relatives . . Chinese ceremony of passing through 
fire. . Mission schools. . Malayan ditto. . Visit to Bitenzorg, 
the residence of the Governor^ and labours there. , Remarks 
on Java . . , o , . 13 j 



CONTENTS. 



XXV 



CHAP. IX. — Passage to Singapore . . Sumatra . . Different 
states. . Customs. . Religion . . Singapore . . Missionaries. . 
Passage to Siam in company with Mr. Tomlin. .Arab ship 
..Conduct of Mahommedan sailors. . Coast of Malayan 
Peninsula. . Passage up the Meinam. . Appearance of the 
Siamese. . Bankok. . Disappointment in not meeting Mr. 
Gutzlaff. .Portuguese consul. . R. Hunter, Esq page 169 

CHAP. X. — Description of Siam. . City of Bankok. . Variety 
of inhabitants. , Enslaved condition of multitudes. . Their 
misery and vice. . Religion of Budh. . Priests. . Religion of 
the Chinese, Burmese, Peguins, Malays, Portuguese. . First 
Protestant missionaries. . Visit to Pra Klang. . Missionary 
houses. . Medical depository . . Native simplicity . . Visit 

. from the Princes. . Interesting interview with a priest.. 
Other priests. . Cambodjian prince. . Cambodjia as mis- 
sionary ground . . Sacred month . , Illuminations. .King's 
visit to the temples. . Splendid procession of barges. . Over- 
flow of the Meinam. .Affecting case of a Chinese youth. . 
Sabbath worshippers. . Heathen cruelty. . Successful labours 
. . Beauty of the heavens. . Funeral array. . Splendid tem- 
ples and idols.. Close of first visit to Siam .. Caution to 
readers of missionary journals 184 

CHAP. XL — Passage to Singapore. . Mr.Thomsen. . Descrip- 
tion of Singapore. . Importance as a mission station.. 
Printing. . Schools. . Visit along the coast. . Passage to Ma- 
lacca.. Town of Malacca, .Anglo-Chinese college. . Mis- 
sionaries . . Schools . . Resident . . Return to Singapore. . 
Embarkation for Siam. . Chinese junk. . Straitened apart- 
ments. . Dull passage. . Sailors. . Idolatry. . Efforts to restrain 
them . . Tringano. . Squall. . Loss of Chinese vessels. . De- 
graded inhabitants of the Malayan Peninsula. . Arrival. . 
Ignorance of the heathen, . Custom-house officers 236 

CHAP. XII. — General view of second visit to Siam. .Sup- 

a 



xxvi 



CONTENTS. 



plying Chinese junks with books. . Missionary labours. . Lit- 
tle congregation. . Medical practice. . Conduct of servant. . 
Convert of Mr. Gutzlaff. . Sacred season. . Prince Chaw 
Fah. .Arrangement with the Prince. . Swimming child.. 
Malayan captives. . Mode of preserving the dead.. Super- 
stition respecting evil spirits, &c.. . Interesting priest. . Most 
common languages of Siam. .Chinese languages. . Mode of 
studying. . Last Sabbath service. . Appointment of expounder 
. . Baptism of some since. . Juthia. . Chantibun ...... page 263 

CHAP. XIII.— Passage to Singapore. .Visit to Rhio. .De- 
scription of Rhio. . Death and character of Rev. R. Burn. . 
Labours at Singapore. . Illness. . Changes at Singapore.. 
Embarkation for England 292 

CHAP. XIV Borneo. .Foreign settlers. .Aborigines called 

Dyaks. . Degradation and cruelty. . Their passion for human 
heads. .Their religion. . Language . . Brutal condition of 
the northern tribes. . Borneo as missionary ground. .Dutch 
station. .Trade 303 



CHAP. XV.— Celebes. .Languages. .Religion . . Mandhaar 
. . Mode of life. . Mamoodjoo. . Rajahs. . Pirates. . Mission- 
ary station under the Netherlands Society. . Island of Sooloo 313 

CHAP. XVI.— Philippine Islands. . Mindano. . Palawan. . 
Spanish^possessions. . Extent. .Value. . Inhabitants. . Influ- 
ence of Romish priests. . Superstitions 321 

CHAP. XVII.— Loo Choo Islands. . Number. . Size. . Scenery 
. . Interesting inhabitants. . Laws. . Language. . Religion. . 
Mr. GutziafF's visit. . Importance of having missionary ships 330 

CHAP. XVIII. — Japan . . Description. .Towns. .Laws. . 
Language. .Religions. .Labours of the Jesuits. . Visits of 
Uadiiig vessels . , Means of benefiting the nation 337 



CONTENTS. 



XXVll 



CHAP. XIX Conclusion. . Talent entrusted to Christians. . 

United and more vigorous efforts necessary. . Address to 
Ministers on behalf of missions. .Zeal of the Jesuits. .To 
Students of Theology. .Importance of sending out colonies 
. . Address to Physicians ; to pious Merchants ; to Ladies ; 
to Persons of Wealth ; to all classes. . Necessity of the co- 
operation of those at home ; of Mothers ; of Teachers, .page 346 



CHAP. XX. — Voyage to Europe. .Description of St.Helena 
. . Buonaparte's tomb. . Longwood, . Arrival in England . . 
Visit to the Continent 362 



PREFACE BY THE AUTHOR. 



The writer of the following pages went to Canton 
under the auspices of the American Seaman's Friend 
Society, to act as Chaplain to seamen and foreign 
residents speaking the English language. He took 
with him aconditional appointment from the American 
Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, in 
case he should consider it his duty to devote himself 
exclusively to the Heathen. At the expiration of the 
first year he left China on a tour to some of the 
islands and continental kingdoms of South-eastern 
Asia, with the double purpose of ascertaining the 
most important posts for Missions, and of rendering 
himself useful in that station which presented the 
strongest claims upon his services. 

As the object of this volume is to inform the 
Christian World of the state of these Heathen 
countries, the writer has extended his observations 
much beyond the limits of his travels, and has drawn 
from every open and uncorrupted source the informa- 
tion required for his purpose. What he has seen, 



XXX 



PREFACE. 



and heard, and read, as far as the testimony appeared 
credible, has been freely appropriated. A consider- 
able portion of what is stated has been derived from 
the experience and observation of his fellow-mission- 
aries resident at the places which he visited. Of 
them he has said as little as possible ; both because 
their names are too few not to be known, and because 
it is doubtful whether any eulogies from one of their 
number would be of advantage to themselves, or to 
the cause in which they are engaged. The same 
silence has been preserved with respect to many 
families and individuals from whom much kindness 
. was received, and for whom the highest regard is 
cherished. 

An interruption of the narrative of events to insert 
what" appeared worthy of remark, as well as an in- 
troduction of facts the knowledge of which was in a 
few instances gained after the date under which they 
are recorded, with other discrepancies of the same 
kind, would not deserve notice, were it not that they 
might be thought to derogate from the correctness of 
the observations. It is to be regretted, that many 
subjects of the greatest interest have been either 
omitted or passed over with a few unsatisfactory 
remarks, while others of far less importance have 
been inserted in their place. The omission was un- 
avoidable, owing to a dearth of information on these 
points: the less important observations were sub- 
stituted, in the hope that they may at least have the 



PREFACE. 



xxxi 



effect of drawing attention to these neglected regions, 
and thus lead to measures for their further investio;a- 
tion and spiritual benefit. 

As many deficiencies will be detected in the style 
of this work, the writer must state, as an apology, 
that it was written under considerable disadvantages 
of circumstances and bodily health, and that the 
greater part of it he had neither strength nor leisure 
to revise. 



CHAPTER I. 



PASSAGE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 

y 

On Wednesday the 14th of October, 1829, the Rev. 
E. C. Bridgman and myself bade farewell to our 
friends and country, and embarked in the ship Roman, 
Capt. Lavender, for Canton, China. The tedium of 
the voyage was greatly reheved by the society of four 
fellow-passengers, citizens of New-York. Owing 
to calms, and a strong opposing current, we were 
detained two days within sight of the city. 

Early on Friday morning we left our anchorage, 
and, with a light though favourable breeze, stood to 
sea. The wind freshened as we advanced, and, be- 
tween eight and nine o'clock, the return of the pilot 
presented the last opportunity of communicating with 
the shore. 

During the greater part of the passage nothing 
occurred which is not generally witnessed, and has 
not been frequently detailed. Divine service was 
established, from the first, on the morning and 
afternoon of the Lord's-day, and social worship every 
evening at the change of the watch. As no com- 
pulsory measures were employed to gain the attend- 

B 



2 



PASSAGE. 



ance of the crew, composed of a heterogeneous 
company, the number of worshippers varied with 
their fickle inclinations. Nothing proved so effectual 
in bringing them together, as frequent visits to the 
forecastle, and more private interviews with them, 
when disengaged, in their night-watch upon deck. 

Nearly three months elapsed on our passage before 
we enjoyed a sight of land. The first stable object 
which changed for a moment our wearisome pro- 
spect, was the small island of St. Paul. It is remark- 
able for a pond, which furnishes to the voyager a 
well-stored larder, and a self-cooking kitchen. Fish 
of all kinds, which are taken in abundance, may be 
thrown from the hook into boiling springs, and thus 
prepared for the table without trouble or expense. 
The immense distance of this rocky islet, and its 
sister Amsterdam, from any continent, is another 
peculiarity. 

On the 25th of January, Sandal-wood Island, the 
first land made in the Eastern passage, was descried. 
Before the island appeared, its proximity was indi- 
cated by large land birds, resembling eagles, majes- 
tically saihng in the air above us ; and butterflies, or 
winged grasshoppers, which, borne on the breeze, 
came and lighted upon the ship. The island is ex- 
tensive, and produces many valuable articles, though 
very little is known of the physical, political, or 
moral condition of its inhabitants. No attempts 
have been made by Protestant Christians for its 



PASSAGE. 



3 



conversion ; none to discover whether, with its popu- 
lous neighbours, it is not waiting for God's law. 

That the feasibility of establishing missions upon 
sotfie, or all, of these islands, might be readily tested, 
is evident to those who have sailed almost within hail 
of their shores, and whose timidity, or want of zeal, 
does not controul a laudable spirit of Christian enter- 
prize. Our course was through the Ombay passage, 
and afforded a view of the islands of Flores, Solor, 
Lomblem, Pantar, and Ombay, on the lefc ; and of 
Timor, Cambing, Baby, and probably Wetter, on the 
right. As may be readily supposed, the greater part 
of our time was spent in feasting our eyes upon 
the cheering and changing aspects of land, and in 
suffering our imagination to expatiate where it would 
be more interesting, but perhaps more hazardous, to 
roam in person. Since it was not our object to land, 
we were by no means grieved to enjoy the coolness 
and impetus of a fresh breeze, and soon to leave these 
smiling spots to charm the hearts and eyes of our 
successors. Numerous huts were distinguished on 
the hills of many of these islands. One of our pas- 
sengers, on a previous voyage, was becalmed for a 
day and a night within a short distance of Ombay. 
In addition to the dwellings he could discern by day, 
fires, probably for cooking, were lighted in the even- 
ing, which, bespangling the shores and hills of this 
and the adjacent islands, indicated a considerable 
population. 

B 2 



4 



PASSAGE. 



How far the Roman Catholics succeeded in their 
early attempts to diffuse their faith through this part 
of the Archipelago, or to what extent the trophies 
of their ancient zeal may still exist, where commerce 
has ceased to allure the European trader, it is quite 
impossible to determine. 

The Portuguese were probably the first who 
attempted the conversion of these islands to nominal 
Christianity. They took possession of the colonies 
as early as 1610, or soon after, and commenced at the 
same time their religious operations ; but there is 
reason to believe, from authentic records and ex- 
isting facts, that their success was by no means 
answerable to the latitude of faith and practice gene- 
rally admitted by their proselyting policy. Before 
the middle of the sixteenth century, the celebrated 
Xavier and his coadjutors arrived in these regions, and 
displayed (according to the Saint's biographer) those 
wonders of super-human wisdom and power by which 
thousands were forthwith converted to the true faith. 
Near the close of the century, the Dutch dispossessed 
the Portuguese, and soon afterwards introduced Pro- 
testantism among the natives. 

It is said that '^one principal purpose of the for- 
mation of the Dutch East-India Company, w^as the 
propagation of Christianity in those countries which 
should come under their dominion." Had this 
purpose actuated the foreign agents of the Company, 
and all the early chaplains of the establishment, as it 



INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 



5 



did many of them, the genuine conversion of these 
lovely and populous islands had probably been the 
result. The natives were not only willing, but desir- 
ous, to become acquainted with the religion professed 
by the Dutch. They even requested teachers ; and, 
when their request was complied with, submitted to 
their instructions with the greatest docility and con- 
fidence. 

In looking over the records of these times, we are 
struck with a number of rather opposing facts, and 
scarcely know whether to give way to our feelings of 
admiration for the zeal and energy of some of the first 
chaplains, or of deep regret for their inj udicious plans, 
and the comparative fruitlessness of their vast labours. 
They studied and wrote, they travelled and preached, 
they founded churches and opened schools. Such 
were the variety and multiplicity of their measures, 
such the magnitude and success of their efforts, 
that, according to their reports, the devils — the only 
acknowledged deities of these regions — soon found 
their temples deserted, their rights neglected, and 
whole villages and islands alienated from their alle- 
giance. At the close of the seventeenth century 
forty thousand natives had enrolled themselves 
among the disciples of the Saviour^. But here we 
are compelled to check our admiration, by a know- 
ledge of the result. A declension soon commenced, 

* I have not been able to ascertain the population of the island s 
at this time. 



6 



INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 



and continued with such rapidit)^, that whole districts 
speedily relapsed into their former abominations. 
The causes of this decline — or rather of the apparent 
conversion of such numbers, who afterwards aposta- 
tized — ^are various. Many of the chaplains were 
opposed, in spirit and conduct, to their worthy 
coadjutors; too much stress was laid upon a know- ; 
ledge of the technicalities, or a compliance with the 
formalities, of Christianity, too little upon the renova- 
tion of the heart ; professing Christians were preferred 
to their heathen neighbours in the distribution of 
petty offices under Government, and even a monthly 
allowance of rice was served out to those, and those 
only, who had received the rite of baptism. 

During the eighteenth century we read of very 
few attempts to revive the spirit of Christianity, or 
even to preserve from extinction that which re- 
mained, and was ready to die." Many of the schools 
were kept up, and other means, previously established, 
continued ; but the labour devolved chiefly upon the 
natives, and their qualifications were inadequate to 
the work ; the churches at home were in a languish- 
ing state, and the few messengers sent out took little 
or no interest in the instruction of the heathen. To ! 
determine what amount of good was really effected 
by these early missionary efforts, requires a new series 
of data, different alike from the contradictory reports 
of the times, and the opposing sentiments of later 
commentators, That many were translated out of 



INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 



7 



darkness into light, who will refuse to believe? that 
thousands were self-deluded, or deceived, who can 
deny ? When we consider what evidently might have 
been effected ; and what was, no doubt, the aim of the 
devoted men of whom we have spoken ; we are grieved 
at the consequences. For more than tw^o hundred 
years this desert might have bloomed like the garden 
of the Lord, and loaded with its fragrance every 
breeze which refreshes the vast continent and islands 
of south-eastern Asia. 

These few historical facts bring us down to our 
own times, and may prepare the way for the following 
remarks upon the missions of the present day, in the 
different islands that lay on our course. 

The large island of Timor was one of those in- 
cluded within our view, while passing through the 
Ombay passage. Its forest trees, crowning a majestic 
bank which skirted the sea, waved us a graceful in- 
vitation to their cooling shades — perhaps to the 
relief of the crowds who perish beneath them. Timor 
is one of the most extensive and important islands 
in these seas. According to the accounts of travellers, 
a number of independent and unsocial tribes roam 
through its deep interior, who have so little mutual 
intercourse, that no less than forty languages are 
spoken among them. There are two foreign esta- 
blishments upon the island, the one occupied by the 
Portuguese, the other by the Dutch. The former is 
called DelH, or Didil, and is situated on the north- 



8 



INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 



east part of the island. Of its commercial import- 
ance we know but little. More than three centuries 
have elapsed since the Roman Catholic religion was 
introduced here ; and although the Portuguese co- 
lonists and their numerous priests have generally- 
given it currency in other parts of the East, where 
they have preserved a footing, yet Timor has received 
but little attention at their hands. One evident 
reason, according to a witness of their own nation 
and religion, is, because the priests are a worldly- 
minded and ungodly set of men. The greater part 
of the day they employ in looking after their specu- 
lations in sandal- wood, wax, gold, copper, and the 
very heathen themselves, whom they export, and sell 
as slaves. This, however, is but a part of their un- 
christian conduct. 

" By night they practise every sin, 
By day their hands draw nigh to God." 

The most disgraceful ecclesiastics in Macao are 
generally selected for Timor; and cases have occurred 
in which lawless offenders of this class, with whom 
nothing could be done, have had other punishment 
mitigated into missionary banishment to this ill-fated 
island. If this be the case — and there is no reason 
to doubt the authority upon which it is given— 
we see sufficient reason why the petty chiefs who 
have embraced Catholicism, according to travellers, 
still retain their heathen customs, and practise the 
grossest immoralities. 



INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 



9 



Coopang, the Dutch settlement, stands on the 
south-west end of the island. There, Dutch mis- 
sionaries once exerted themselves with vigour, and 
apparent success. During the eighteenth century no 
labourers were sent out, and many baptized Chris- 
tians abandoned even the name of Christ, and re- 
verted to their favourite demon worship. In the year 
1821 the first messenger, under the new era of Chris- 
tian missions, resumed the long-suspended duties of a 
Gospel minister in the place. This missionary, by 
name Le Brun, was an excellent character, but was 
spared only long enough to prepare himself for use- 
fulness in his new sphere: others succeeded him, 
and carried on the duties of the station with visible 
success. It is a common complaint, in the correspond- 
ence of the missionaries, that multitudes who have 
been received into the Christian church — probably 
descendants of the early converts- — have never re- 
nounced their idolatrous habits. The unchristianized 
natives they describe as slothful, apathetic, untrained 
to reflection, living and dying like the brutes around 
them. They have no established forms of religion, 
but dread the power and deprecate the fury of infernal 
spirits. This refers only to the tribes in the vicinity 
of the settlement, where the Malayan language 
forms an admixture with their native tongues. As 
has been mentioned, those in tlie interior speak a 
number of languages, very distinct from the Malay, 
and live in the wildest state. I am not able to learn 

B 5 



10 



INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 



that any attempts have ever been made for their con- 
version ^. 

A number of smaller islands in the surrounding 
seas are occupied by the missionaries of the Nether- 
lands Society ; among these isRotti, situated a short 
distance south of Timor. In 1820 there were three 
churches completed, and others in progress, on this 
hmited spot. Three hundred and sixty children were 
enjoying regular instruction, all of them the descend- 
ants of nominal Christians. The aboriginal inhabit- 
ants are more energetic in mind and body than the 
Malays, and the island yields a rich supply of rice 
and palm sugar f . 

East and north-east of Timor, one or two degrees 
distant from it and from each other, are the small 
islands of Letty, Moa, Kisser, and Roma. Each of 
them is a mission station, occupied by one or more 
missionaries. Some of them abound with inhabitants, 
who have a language of their own, and whose customs 
are entirely repugnant to the principles of Christianity, 
which many profess. The instructions of the mis- 

* At the close of 1831, the Dutch reports give an aggregate of 
several thousands of Christians upon the island. Whether they 
include those whose heathen customs the missionaries deplore, we 
know not. In 1832, six missionaries arrived in the East; four of 
whom went to an institution upon Timor, designed for fitting Eu- 
ropean and native Christians for their work. One of them was 
appointed to the chaplaincy of the Company : the others, it is hoped, 
will penetrate beyond the maritime parts which have already been 
explored. 

f Of the recent reinforcements to these islands, one or two 
iriissionaries have instructions to occupy Rotti. 



INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 



11 



sionaries are generally conveyed through the Malayan 
language, which, it is said, they are striving to make 
the universal medium of intercourse. If it can be 
accomplished without sacrificing the eternal interests 
of the present generation, the object is worthy of their 
strenuous efforts : it is calculated to cherish a spirit 
of mutual benevolence among the natives, and it will 
yield the greatest faciUty of labour to all succeeding 
missionaries. One or two of them have acquired the 
native speech ; but, thus far, no translations have 
been made — at least no books published. A mis- 
sionary, who visited the island of Letty in 1825, 
reports that he found the schoolmaster efl&ciently 
engaged in his duties, and that he baptized many, 
especially in one district, A successor, who arrived 
at the island in 1829, states that numbers of baptized 
Christians were both ignorant and addicted to all the 
vices of Paganism. That the same system, of ga- 
thering multitudes indiscriminately into the visible 
church, should be practised by some of the modern 
missionaries, is a source of lamentation to their more 
judicious brethren, and to all w^ho take an interest in 
their labours. The result is, as might be expected, 
some ''weary themselves for very vanity,'^ and others 
are obliged to ^' labour in the very fire," most incon- 
siderately kindled against them. 

At Wetter, which has been mentioned as included 
within our prospect, the heathen are represented as 
favourable to Christianity. The missionary who visited 



12 



INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 



them in 1825, baptized numbers, and united many 
in Christian marriage. This island had formerly been 
under the care of the chaplains, but for the last forty 
years Christian instruction had been almost entirely 
suspended. The consequences need not be detailed, 
when it is considered that little more than the name 
and rites of Christianity constituted the sum of their 
early knowledge. 

After leaving the Ombay Passage, our course lay 
through the Banda Sea, which takes its name from a 
small group of islands situated two and a half de- 
grees east of our track. Here the Dutch have a 
missionary, who, under date of 1824, reports that he 
had been visiting those who professed Christianity, 
from house to house. He was shocked at their igno- 
rance and heathenism : barring the difference of 
name, they could not be distinguished from the Ma- 
hommedans and heathen around them. The drums 
of the soothsayers made a deeper impression upon 
them, than all the truths of the Gospel. 

Such was the depravity of the great mass of adults, 
and such the example by which their children were 
seduced into all kinds of wickedness, that the mis- 
sionary was constrained, under the deep emotions of 
his soul, to exclaim, Rivers of waters run down 
mine eyes, because they keep not thy law.*' Still, a 
few facts of some promise were noticed : there were 
those who could, and did, read the Bible ; the 
schools, though languishing, were not closed ; and a 



INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 



13 



few of the converts maintained a character worthy of 
the religion they professed. 

In former days there were congregations upon a 
number of these islands, but the blight of death has 
passed over them. 

At Great Banda there are twenty-four plantations, 
managed by as many native planters who bear the 
name of Christ. 

Still farther to the east, in nearly a south-east 
direction from Banda, is a chain of islets, called by 
the Dutch ^' the Keys," which extend to the Arroo 
group of the charts. The former are described as 
fertile spots, producing a variety of fruits, and peo- 
pled by a race of men who have ever shewn a peculiar 
mildness of disposition and hospitality towards 
Europeans. Whether this benevolence is a genuine 
expression of the soul, or assumed from motives of 
policy, has not been ascertained. The only ground 
of suspicion is their physical weakness, and destitu- 
tion or paucity of arms. 

The Arroo islands are extremely valuable, and 
are said to contain a population of about twenty 
thousand; they abound in all the delicious fruits of 
the Moluccas, and swarm with poultry, and birds of 
the richest, rarest plumage. They contain a small 
band of professing Christians, a great many Mahom- 
medans, and a still greater number of heathen. From 
the reports of the missionaries in their vicinity, these 
islands hold out the most inspiriting invitation to the 



14 



INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 



servants of Christ : the field is large, and numbers 
would find delightful employment in its culture. One 
relative advantage, of the highest importance, is the 
proximity of these islands to New Guinea, with whose 
shores there is, no doubt, a constant intercourse, 
and whose degraded millions might be approached 
through this point of access. 

Contrary winds and a temporary calm detained us 
for two or three days in the Banda Sea. 

On the 28th of January the large island of Booro 
was descried, and the next morning we found our- 
selves passing at the distance of a few miles from its 
south-eastern shore. Besides its other valuable pro- 
ductions, this island is the genial soil of the cajeput 
tree, whose well-known oil is a principal article of 
export. It is virtually under the dominion of the 
Dutch, though, with the exception of a foreign Resi- 
dent, the inhabitants are governed by their own Ra- 
jahs. The king of the country, and nine subordinate 
chiefs, by whom he is assisted injudicial matters, are 
Mahommedans. The inhabitants, whom the Dutch 
call Alfories, have not submitted to the yoke of Isla- 
mism, and, it is said, are not allowed to embrace 
Christianity. Still the place is not entirely destitute 
of Christian instruction. A missionary is stationed 
here, who, under date of 1825, writes that the island is 
divided into ten districts, and that there were about 
ninety Christians, and one hundred and forty, includ- 
ing children, who had been baptized. 



INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 



15 



The state of religion among these few, differs in 
no respects from the corruption prevaiUng in the other 
islands. The judgments of God, in those sweeping 
scourges, cholera and famine, it is reported, produced 
considerable effect upon their fears, and brought them 
for a time to a better state of mind. 

The aborigines are characterized by gentleness 
and timidity. Idleness, opium, smoking, and drunken- 
ness, are their reigning vices ; dancing, their popular 
amusement. 

After leaving the Banda Sea, we passed through 
the Straits of Manippa, which brought within our 
horizon a number of important islands. Amboyna, 
the principal one, is distinguished, among all the spice 
settlements under European controul, for the extent and 
beauty of its capital, the strength of its fortifications, 
and the proportionately large number of its professing 
Christians. It contains a population of between forty 
and fifty thousand. Mr. Kam, the first missionary of 
the new era, who arrived in 1815, reports that he 
found twenty thousand native Christians, prepared, by 
his predecessors, for attending the ordinances of the 
Gospel. The nature of this preparation is not stated, 
though the missionary probably includes all who had 
been received into the visible church by its initiatory 
rite, with their descendants. He found many districts, 
whose inhabitants were formerly Christian, relapsed 
' into Paganism. A terrifying earthquake frightened 
some of them back into the profession w^hich they 



16 



INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 



had abandoned. Mr. Kam commenced his labours, 
here and in the neighbouring islands, with much 
zeal and energy. Prompted by a spirit which every 
missionary should possess, he looked upon himself as 
a " debtor to all and consequently entered into every 
sphere where he thought his services might be useful. 
Much of his time was devoted to a visitation of those 
islands where churches had been planted, or where 
there was an opening for the introduction of the Gos- 
pel. His journals shew an entire devotedness to his 
Saviour's cause ; though, from the many thousands 
he baptized in his extensive and repeated circuits, we 
cannot but fear that his views on this subject were 
not the most judicious. 

Two institutions were established at Amboyna for 
the preparation of schoolmasters : one under a com- 
mittee of government officers, including the mis- 
sionary, who is the appointed chaplain ; the other 
under the sole direction of Mr. Kam, and designed 
to prepare young men for less prominent, though 
equally destitute, stations. These institutions, and 
especially the latter, have been successful in their 
operations. Other means have been employed for 
the conversion of the heathen, with much visible 
effect. 

At Manippa, through the Straits of which we 
sailed, there are many Mussulmans, and a few Chris- 
tians, The missionaries report that two villages had 
cast away their idols, and embraced Christianity. 



INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 



17 



We had the large and beautiful island of Ceram 
in sight for a long time. Its lively verdure, its tower- 
ing mountains, its irregular and variegated surface, 
and especially the history associated with it, tended to 
render it an object of most interesting contemplation. 
Travellers speak of some of its scenery as enchanting. 
The missionaries describe it as exceedingly fertile. The 
sago finds no soil so congenial to its perfection, as the 
well-saturated bogs of Ceram. This valuable tree 
grows wild, not merely in scattered clumps, but in 
deep forests ; supplying its indolent tribes with abun- 
dant provision, and considerable wealth. The waters 
teem with a variety of the finest fish. So that it has 
been said of the natives of this island, as of the birds 
of the air, They neither sow, nor reap, nor gather 
into barns." The inhabitants of the sea-coast are 
principally Malays ; in the inland districts, the Alfo- 
ries, or aborigines, abound. The shocking Diak 
custom, of destroying human life by arts the most 
treacherous and dishonourable, without provocation, 
and merely to add human heads to the trophies of 
their cruelty, is common to this island, to Borneo, 
and to Celebes. Demon worship is the prevailing 
superstition ; and the infernal rites and horrid impre- 
cations employed in binding themselves to a volun- 
tary and perpetual slavery to the rulers of dark- 
ness," breathe the very spirit of hell. 

When Mr. Kam visited this island, after his arrival 
in these seas, he found that there had been no stated 



18 



INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 



preacher for the last twenty years. He passed through 
twelve districts, preaching, and administering the sa- 
craments of the Gospel. After his return he received 
intelligence that two villages had demolished their 
temples. But, alas ! numbers of these stony-ground 
hearers soon began to decline : so that the missionary 
felt himself obliged to make them another visit. In 
some districts relio-ious exhortations had no effect. 
Many of the Christians did not even beheve in a 
future state of existence. 

At Kaibobo, in Ceram, a missionary is stationed. 
He gives no favourable account of the progress of the 
children in the schools, nor of the good example and 
discipline of their parents at home. In a report of 
Mr. Kam for 1827, he speaks of more than six 
thousand church members, and upwards of tv;o 
thousand children under instruction ^. 

With the exception of Ternati, one of the Moluc- 
cas, situated not far from the north coast of Gilolo, 
we have gone over the principal stations under the 
Netherlands Missionary Society in this part of the 
Archipelago. 

Ternati, though small, has long maintained an 
importance above its neighbours. Its sultan has ac- 
quired the sovereignty ofmany of the adjacent islands, 
having extended his dominions to part of Celebes, and 

* The discrepancy in these two statements may be easily recon- 
ciled; though we fear that the least gratifying account is the most 
correct. 



INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 



19 



even to New Guinea. The missionary here has been 
taken into the service of the government ; and though 
a man of excellent character, is said to be too sickly 
to fulfil his duties among Christians, and, of course, 
unable to attempt much for the heathen. The situa- 
tion is, probably, one of the most important for a 
missionary colony in these seas. 

Before we turn our backs upon the numerous sta- 
tions occupied by the Netherlands Society, and open 
to their future exertions, a few facts merit our atten- 
tion. The extent of many of these islands, the num- 
ber of their inhabitants, their proximity to others still 
more extensive and populous, render them highly 
important for missionary establishments ; while the 
liberty enjoyed by Europeans, of visiting the coast and 
traversing the interior of most of them, added to the 
readiness with which the natives generally listen to 
their instructions, and conform, by thousands, to the 
external rites of Christianity, enhance their interest, 
and give them a bold prominence among the most 
inviting and promising spheres of Christian exertion. 

To those acquainted with the history of these 
missions, it may be thought strange that we do not 
dwell more in detail upon the numbers who have, at 
different times, renounced idolatry, and professed the 
religion of Christ. Our only reason is, because the 
qualifications for baptism, required by many of the 
missionaries, differ so essentially from the views en- 
tertained by the majority of those who will probably 



20 



INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 



read this work, that numbers would convey no cor- 
rect idea of the success of their labours. In islands, 
and districts of islands, occasionally visited by the 
missionaries^ we read of their preaching a few times, 
performing the ceremony of marriage, baptizing 
crowds of adults as well as children, and administer- 
ing the sacrament of the Lord's Supper. If these 
places were all supplied with native teachers in whose 
piety and judgment entire confidence could be placed, 
our wonder at this hasty mode of procedure would 
cease : but when we learn, from their own accounts, 
that apostasy is very common, and that villages 
and whole districts frequently fall back into their 
former abominations, we must conclude, either that 
the native teachers are unqualified for their duties, or 
disproportioned in numbers to their stations ; or, that 
those admitted to the ordinances of the church are 
received on other grounds than that repentance and 
faith which the Scriptures enjoin. 

It is not intended to assert that this course of 
proceeding is approved of by all the present mis- 
sionaries ; neither is it certain that it is pursued by 
the majority. A very few labourers of incorrect 
sentiments respecting the proper subjects of the 
sacraments, are quite sufficient to produce all the 
consequences we here deplore. 

One fact, which strikes us powerfully, and which 
may tend to explain, in a measure, what we cannot 
approve of, is the paucity of labourers. Compared 



INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 



21 



with most other societies, the one whose field and 
operations w^e have been considering has done 
nobly ; but their hands are too feeble for the im- 
mense work to be performed. Hundreds should be 
sent forth ; and hundreds would, no doubt, find 
employment of the most delightful kind. 

After leaving the Straits of Manippa^ our course 
was nearly north-east, through Dampier Straits, into 
the Pacific. A multitude of islands, of rather incon- 
siderable note, rose and sunk in the horizon, as we 
glided gently along, until we found ourselves once 
more riding upon the long swells of an open sea. 
New-Guinea, or the Great Papua country, and Way- 
giou, or Waijoo, between which we passed, remained 
in sio'ht many hours. The mountains of the former 
appeared stupendous, and the distant coast resembles 
hills of different altitudes and dimensions rising 
separately from the ocean. It is rather extraordinary, 
that, though we have been for many days sur- 
rounded by human habitations, some of w^hich, with 
their possessors, we could distinctly discern, we have 
received no visitors, and perceived but one prow in 
motion. 

Waijoo contains one hundred thousand inhabit- 
ants. It is said that they trade to a considerable 
extent with the Chinese, and that the greater part of 
them speak the Chinese language. From the ac- 
counts of travellers, though we have seen nothing of 
a recent date, we can find no reason why an inter- 



22 



INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, 



course might not be opened with them, and a mission 
established upon their island. Surely the number of 
souls is large enough to claim this duty from Chris- , 
tians ; and its situation is pecuharly favourable, both , 
for communication with home, and with the im- | 
portant islands in its vicinity. | 

But it is to New-Guinea that the eye turns with 
the deepest concern. ^ This insular continent is 
about twelve hundred miles in length, and from 
fifteen to three hundred and sixty in breadth. Navi- 
gators speak with rapture of the beauty of its coasts, 
and the astonishing variety of its rich productions. 
Among the ornaments of its natural history is the far- 
famed bird of paradise, of which ten or twelve species 
make it their favourite residence. It is inhabited by 
several millions of souls, who are sunk in deep 
intellectual ignorance and spiritual death. Many 
distinct tribes, exceedingly opposite to each other in 
appearance and habits, spread themselves through 
its coasts and interior. The great mass consist of 
Negroes, of a Herculean frame and jet-black coun- 
tenance, with prominent eyes, distended mouths, 
spreading noses, and curled hair projecting in an 
enormous bunch from the head. Some of them are " 
cannibals of the worst character, others are mild, 
and obliging to strangers, disposed to trade upon 
terms the most advantageous to the other party, 
neither knowing the value of their own articles, nor 
the worthlessness of those they most admire. Though 



INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 



23 



we have never read of a single missionary having 
touched upon its shores, the wiser and more adven- 
turous children of this world hesitate not to visit it 
whenever their object can be gained ^. 

Thus we perceive, from the catalogue of islands 
enumerated— and the list might be easily swelled, if 
we were to proceed a short distance to the east — 
what a sphere of Christian benevolence lies, in almost 
total neglect, in these seas. It is, no doubt, judged 
by some advisable to defer missionary engagements 
until commerce shall open an access to those bar- 
barous regions, and prepare the way for the Gospel ; 
but even if the character and conduct of traders had 
this general tendency, how long shall we wait ? Had 
there been any strong inducements to comaiercial 



* The following facts were extracted from the journal of a 
captain, published in the Singapore Chronicle, under date of 
1830 : they may be useful to some. At Dory of the charts, he 
found a good harbour, and the people very friendly. They gave 
him missoy bark, tripang, and tortoise-shell, in exchange for iron, 
blue cloth, &c. At Myfori(Long Island of the charts) the Rajah 
spoke Malay, but was absent ; he after vvards met him, and found 
him' friendly. At Misori, or Schoten island, the people are con- 
sidered treacherous. At Paddydoo, or Traitor's Island, they are, 
on the contrary, exceedingly friendly ; and, as an expression of it, 
carried their boat, when she grounded, about two miles. At 
Koreering, or Jobie, a considerable island in the deep bay, the 
natives were also very friendly. At Ansoose, off Jobie, latitude 
two degrees south, there are a number of islands ; the natives are 
not to be trusted. At Coordoo (Geebrinks, East Point, of the 
charts), a small village on the east point of the great bay, their 
boats were seized, with six men in them : some of the men were 
killed in a savage manner. The bottom and east of the great bay 
is said to be inhabited by the worst description of cannibals. The 
principal trade is with the Chinese. 



24 



INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 



enterprize, the advantages would not have been 
neglected until now. And as it has been found that 
the influence of men from Christian countries in 
pursuit of wealth, is generally prejudicial to the 
extension of the religion whose principles they fail to 
\ exemplify, it is, no doubt, favourable that such a 
preliminary barrier has not been reared against the 
introduction of the truth. 

The servants of Christ engaged in foreign com- 
merce might afford the most valuable aid, in hasten- 
ing the conversion of these nations. Indeed, without 
their assistance we scarcely know how any thing 
can be done for the present. They might dispatch 
a ship on an exploring tour, to obtain more informa- 
tion about the character and circumstances of the 
different tribes of natives, and to determine the 
most eligible sites for missions. The ship could pro- 
bably defray her expenses, by the same traffic which 
others carry on who have no such object in view. 
When the best localities are ascertained, and mis- 
sionaries sent forth to occupy them, nothing further 
would be required for facilitating their work, but to 
furnish them with small vessels, capable of navi- 
gating these seas, and to favour them with an 
annual visitor or two from home, to supply them with 
necessities and comforts. 

With the blessing of God's Spirit upon their la- 
bours, which we believe would be quickly and amply 
bestowed, the missionaries would soon place them- 



INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 



25 



selves upon a permanent and advantageous footing, 
and probably repay their commercial friends abund- 
antly for their assistance. Thus the Gospel, by the 
light it sheds, and the diligence it commands, would 
prepare the way for trade, and the benefits that 
would accrue to different and widely distant nations 
would be incalculeible. Millions, now below the 
brutes, would be exalted to the enjoyment of all the 
blessings of this life, and to the hopes of the glories 
of the life to come. 

But lest the plan here proposed should be rejected, 
or, what amounts to the same thing, not acted upon, 
another may be suggested, in which the pecuniary 
sacrifice or hazard would be less. Those ships bound 
to Canton, which are obliged, like ourselves, to make 
this Eastern passage, might attempt the pre-requisite 
task of exploring ; and upon its completion, if the 
trade did not answer their expectations, might pro- 
ceed to Canton, without incurring much risk, or losing 
much time. And thus one or i\wo out- of -season ships 
, could annually touch at any station selected, and, by 
I administering to the health and comfort of the mis- 
sionaries, afford material service to the cause in which 
they are engaged. 

But whence the necessity of holding out a tem- 
poral reward, as an inducement to Christians to 
discharge their duties ? What, but the glory of the 
Redeemer, can be the object of commerce in the 
purposes of God? and what could more loudly pro- 



26 



INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, 



claim this object, than the sanctification of many to 
Himself, to whom He has entrusted the talent of 
such extensive usefulness? Surely the isles shall 
wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring 
thy sons from far*/' 

If ships are to be employed in the benevolent 
plans of the Saviour, who, that understands his own 
honour, as well as duty, would hesitate to favour 
these purposes, and thus to identify himself, and his 
possessions, with the instrumentality employed in 
the regeneration of a world ? 

After leaving the Straits of Dampier, the wind 
obliged us to stand ofF in nearly an easterly direction. 
On the 8th of February we made the Pelevv Islands, 
and were soon espied by the natives, who came off in 
pursuit of us. One canoe, with six men and women 
in it perfectly naked, succeeded in gaining the ship 
but, although a rope was thrown to them, which they 
caught, and our progress was checked, their boat 
was drawn under the stern of the ship, and they 
were obliged to let go their hold, to save themselves. 
In their first attempt to gain the lee of the ship 
they were disappointed, and as they were defeated in 
their purpose a second time, even after attaining 
that position, they were evidently disinclined to 
renew the effort. After we separated, they remained 
a long time stationary, as though indulging in the 



* Isaiah Ix. 9. 



INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 



27 



listlessness of disappointment, or endeavouring to 
re-excite their hopes for another trial. Their proa 
was apparently the excavated trunk of a tree. Its 
breadth bore no proportion to its length. The sail 
was triangular. To the windward side was attached 
an out-rigger, projecting about three feet. On this 
as many sat as were necessary to preserve the balance 
of the boat, while one was constantly employed in 
discharging the water, received from every wave. 

The performance of these canoes^ and the skill 
and dexterity with which they are managed, are 
surprising. They come dancing over the waves like 
" fairy sprites,'" and with a velocity which it demands 
a stiff breeze and rough sea for a ship to equal. 
One or two of them continued in pursuit of us, until 
their small islands were left below our horizon, and 
themselves shut in by the shades of the evening. 

The natives of these islands were formerly repre- 
sented as the mildest and most benevolent specimens, 
of unenlightened men. This character they have 
lately lost by attempts at violence, which prove that 
their previous kindness was neither natural, nor the 
result of principle. It is said that when they learned 
the uses of iron, they made a desperate effort to cut off 
a ship and murder all hands, in order to secure the 
object of their cupidity. Whether they may not have 
had another motive for the attack, such as revenge for 
offensive conduct, we cannot ascertain. But whatever 
may be their present character, they are to be Chris-^ 

c 2 



28 



INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 



tianized, and a mission might be planted, and sus- 
tained through the assistance of the ships passing 
in this track. Let barbarous nations be informed 
that they are to be often visited by vessels belonging 
to the friends of those who labour among them, and 
it w^ould not fail to influence them in their conduct 
tow^ards the missionaries » 



29 



CHAPTER II. 

CHINA. 

February! 7th, 1 830.— Latitude, 22 degrees North ; 
longitude, 115 degrees 18 minutes East. 

Early this morning we were called up to view the 
Chinese fishing boats, scattered in almost every 
direction around us. They had ventured beyond the 
sight of land, and were fishing in pairs, with a net 
trailing between them. These small boats are human 
habitations, occupied by as many generations as are 
usually permitted to exist contemporaneously. What 
a prison for intellectual beings, with little prospect 
of a change in this life, and no knowledge of immor- 
tality in the next ! 

It is said they are not allowed to trade with foreign 
vessels; and their exceeding shyness, and the attend- 
ance of the Government boats, confirm the existence 
of such an interdict. Two hundred were counted at 
one time. 

18th. — To-day we caught the first glimpse of China, 
while sailing in a line with its coast. The distance 
was too great for us to distinguish any thing but the 
shadowy outline of its hills. 

We have passed the latitude of Formosa, which 



30 



CHiKA. 



claims a notice, alike on account of its own inherent 
interest, and the sad tale of missions which its 
history unfolds. A chain of mountains, extending 
nearly north and south, forms a natural boundary 
between its aboriginal inhabitants and the Chinese* 
The western coast, in the possession of the latter, is 
said by the old Dutch writers to merit the name by 
which it is known. The eastern division is inhabited 
by several tribes^ among which is a negro race of 
immense size. In the early part of the seventeenth 
century the Dutch introduced Christianity into this 
island. A number of chaplains successively engaged 
in the undertaking, who baptized multitudes, and 
formed many congregations. Parts of the Scrip- 
tures were translated into the vernacular tongue of 
the aborigines, which differs greatly from the language 
of the empire. These were sent to Amsterdam, with 
other Christian books, for publication ; but there is 
no evidence that they ever went through the press. 
According to the account of the missionaries, this ex- 
tensive field soon promised the most abundant fruits. 
But their prospects and projects were quickly de- 
feated : the island was captured by a pirate, who 
massacred some of the chaplains, destroyed Chris- 
tianity, and re-established idolatry. This event oc- 
curred in 1661, since which period the Chinese have 
spread themselves in numbers over its western section. 
At present it is in a state of constant rebellion, the 
resort of the disaffected towards the Government. 
19th.- — The dawn of this morning disclosed the 



CHINA, 31 

bluff, barren peaks of the Ladrone and neighbouring- 
islands, called by the Chinese the old ten thousand 
hills." Our approach was soon descried by the vigi- 
lant natives, and before sunrise, a tall, muscular, 
swarthy man came on board, and offered himself as 
a pilot : when informed that his services were not 
required, and convinced, from the ill success of his 
repeated applications, that money could not be 
earned, he assumed the less honourable office of a 
beggar. The same means were adopted by others who 
succeeded him in the course of the day, and tried all 
possible expedients to obtain money or money's worth. 

From our visitors w^e received information of a 
variety of recent events, chiefly relating to foreign 
residents in Canton, some of which w ere fraught with 
painful interest. Many of them employed a broken 
English, of rather ludicrous peculiarity — an unknown 
tongue, indeed, to the uninitiated, but sufficient to 
communicate ideas, on ordinary topics, to those who 
had been educated in the sauie schooL With one, 
whom the captain recognised, an agreement was 
soon made, and dispatches forw^arded to Canton. 
The time to which he was limited, and on which his 
recompence depended, was scarcely sufficient to allow 
of the least interval of rest, although his countenance 
and conduct evinced that he considered ten dollars, 
the stipulated sum, an ample compensation. The dis- 
tance of the place at which he met us from Canton is 
about eighty miles, and the risk of being detected by 



32 



CHINA. 



the Government officers, in a business interdicted by 
law, by no means inconsiderable. Between eight and 
nine in the evening we reached the anchorage at 
Lintin. This entrance of the celestial regions/' is far 
from interesting. The numerous islands are rough and 
desolate, and, with the exception of a few spots near 
the sea, there is scarcely the trace of a man or beast, 
or the appearance of vegetation, to be discovered. 

20th. — Our present anchorage is the depot of smug- 
glers, where the opium ships are moored, and whence 
this deathful drug, to the amount of several millions of 
dollars annually, is conveyed throughout the empire. 
Among the boats clandestinely engaged in the local 
traffic, are a number commissioned for the protection 
of lawful commerce, but which are as actively em- 
ployed against the interests of the Government as 
they would be in the maintenance of its laws, if 
the revenue officers, who have them in charge, could 
fulfil the duties of their appointment as easily, and 
with greater advantage to themselves. 

This afternoon, for the first time after a hundred 
and twenty-seven days, our feet touched solid ground, 
and though on a heathen shore, far from our native 
land, we felt a gratification peculiar to the wave- 
tossed prisoner when released from his tedious con- 
finement. It was the island of Lintin, the resort 
and habitation of fishermen, and the possession of a 
few families, who cultivate the ground and supply 
the shipping with provisions. Almost every foot of 



CHINA. 



33 



land which had been levelled by nature, or could be 
reduced by art, was in cultivation; while the ad- 
jacent springs and ponds of water were all turned to 
account. 

We attempted to enter a small village, but an old 
man came out^ and with a courteous air of authority 
forbade us. In some of the huts near the beach they 
were engaged at their meals, and, with mouths as full 
as could be crammed without preventing mastication, 
invited us to stop and take a little chou-chou " with 
them. They impart a flavour to their rice, by adding 
a small portion of meat, fish, or vegetables. These sea- 
sonings are generally placed in appropriate vessels, on 
the table, if they have one, or on the ground^ in the 
midst of the circle. Each person is supplied with a 
bowl of rice, to which he convevs the more piquant 
provisions by means of two small sticks, held between 
the thumb and fingers of the right hand, and, placing 
the bowl in contact with the lower jaw, he shovels 
into his mouth as much of the rice as his distended 
cheeks can well contain. 

The fact in which we are most interested, and 
which we cannot consider without reflecting upon 
the ignorance and apathy of the Christian vrorld, is 
the unrestricted intercourse vre have with multitudes, 
-.who welcome us to their huts on shore, and come 
around us in the ship, with all the ingenuousness and 
docility of children. If v/e knew their language, 
'there is not the least reason why we might not con- 

c 5 



34 



CHINA. 



verse with them as freely on religious subjects as on 
all others. 

/ 26th.— As the ship was to remain at Lintin for 
several days, we engaged a native boat to carry us 
to Macao, about eighteen miles distant, and started 
after breakfast on Monday the 22d. The intervening 
islands and distant hills present the same sterile, 
volcanic aspect; and scarcely an object of the least 
interest is seen, until the bay and town of Macao 
open to the view in delightful contrast. These 
are entirely concealed by a projecting point of land, 
until close at hand. After fruitless conjectures where 
a European town of the least size can be situated, 
amid the scenes of desolation and ruggedness which 
appear from the level of the water, the change is 
sudden and unexpected. A long line of white Euro- 
pean buildings, winding with a gentle sweep around 
the crescent shore of the bay ; large military and 
ecclesiastical establishments crowning the summits 
of the hills ; with a motley group of chapels, and 
houses of almost every size and construction, burst 
upon the view at once, and hold the mind, for a 
moment, in delightful surprise. 

Macao stands upon an island, or rather a peninsula 
projecting from an island, with a beautiful bay in 
front, and a sheet of water in the rear. The irregular 
surface of the town, changing its appearance with 
every new position, encompassed with hill and dale, 
scattered villages and cultivated fields, islets and 



CHINA. 



35 



bays, with an extensive and diversified water scenery, 
all beheld from the adjacent hills^ may well command 
the admiration of visitors. 

Variety is the most remarkable feature in the 
buildings. The houses occupied by foreign mer- 
chants are generally spacious, and well adapted to the 
climate. The public edifices, and the numerous 
churches, though some of them are large, display 
nothing peculiar in their exterior appearance or their 
furniture. Much of the town is in possession of 
the Cliinese, and consists, according to their taste, 
of low, confined huts, and narrow, filthy streets. 
According to a recent estimate, the number of in- 
habitants is about fifty thousand, of whom forty-five 
thousand are said to be Chinese ; others suppose the 
whole amount not to exceed thirty or thirty-five 
thousand. Macao is the residence of those ladies 
who have accompanied their husbands to China, and 
the summer retreat of the majority of foreigners 
eno;ao;ed in commerce at Canton. The number of 
English fiimilies, including one American, does not 
exceed a dozen. 

One of the principal objects of curiosity to the 
traveller, is the grotto of Camoens, where the poet 
composed his celebrated Luciad. It is enclosed 
within the pleasure grounds of a private residence, and 
combines the advantao-es of fine scenerv, refreshino- 
air, and undisturbed retirement. It is formed of 
three large rocks, two of which are upright and 



36 



CHINA. 



support the third. The place where he is reported to 
have sat, is a small cavity in one of the rocks, which 
at present is occupied by a representative of less 
perishable material than himself* With a stern con- 
tour, a martial air^ and the want of an eye, lost in 
the Saracen wars^ there is very little to remind one 
of the poet whose charming verse, according to his 
countrymen, could scarcely be surpassed. 

The history of Macao is involved in considerable 
uncertainty, but those points of inquiry most inte- 
resting to the Christian community are by no means 
obscure. 

The Portuguese say that they received it from the 
emperor about the middle of the sixteenth century, 
as an expression of gratitude for expelling a band of 
pirates, who, making it their head-quarters, infested 
the coast and blocked up the port of Canton. The 
Chinese assert that the place was gradually usurped 
by the Portuguese, in their rage for foreign posses- 
sions ; and recent researches shew, that, if the 
former are correct, they cannot produce the emperor's 
grant to prove it. In whatever way possession was 
gained, the Jesuits and others immediately took the 
colony under their spiritual charge, erected churches, 
founded a monastery and college, and opened a 
communication with different parts of the interior. 
If the purity of their faith had harmonized with the 
force of their misguided zeal, there is every reason 
to behave that this Pagan empire would have assumed 



CH I N A. 



37 



a different aspect long before now. The truth would 
perhaps have awakened persecution earlier, but it 
would neither have provoked it by anti-Christian 
measures, nor suffered so severely from its deadliest 
rage. 

It is difficult to determine to what extent the 
forces of Catholicism have been weakened in China. 
Since the general expulsion of the European priests, 
numbers have ventured, and are continually ven- 
turing, into the interior, although they have gene- 
rally been conveyed to their charc>;e in a clandestine 
manner. Some have been sent from Macao to Pekin, 
to supply the board of mathematicians : but the em- 
peror's request, and their avowed object in com- 
plying with it, were alike distinct from all ecclesiastical 
interference. Very recently, one of them was trans- 
ferred from Pekin to Canton, with considerable pomp, 
and for the purpose of returning to Europe. It was 
said by many to be a plan of the emperor's to get 
him respectably out of the country ; others maintain 
that he requested permission to visit his aged mother 
before her death. However this may be, I am in- 
formed that at present there is but one Roman Catholic 
priest employed in the emperor's service, and for the 
last twenty years no fresh ones have been invited ^. 

* The following estimate of the Roman Catholic forces was ob- 
tained from one of their most credible priests, by a mutual friend. — 

The French mission has two bishops, four or five European 
missionaries, thirty native missionaries, and fifty-one thousand 
converts. 



38 



CHINA. 



In the college of St. Joseph, formerly in the hands 
of the Jesuits, there are a number of Chinese youth, 
educated at the expense of the Portuguese Govern- 
ment exclusively for the priesthood. These are 
ordained as missionaries to the interior. Other na- 
tives are received, and instructed at their own charges. 
Besides this institution, there are about twelve 
churches and forty priests for the limited population 
professing the Roman Catholic faith. 

Our attention was frequently arrested by crowds of 
women visiting the different temples, and we were 
constrained to believe the season to be one of peculiar 
sanctity, or the place greatly given to superstition. 
Whether the first conjecture was correct or not, the 
facts that quickly came to our knowledge left no 
grounds to doubt the second. The patron saint, or ra- 
ther tutelary deity, of the place, isSt. Antonio. Having 
been skilled in the use of carnal weapons'' in the early 
part of his career, he is exceedingly popular among 
the military, and is represented as a valuable assistant 
in war. When the Dutch attacked the place, it is 
said by many that he appeared in the air, and routed 
the invaders ; others ascribe the victory to the timely 

The Portuguese mission has one bishop, one European mis- 
sionary, twenty-nine native missionaries, and eighty thousand con- 
verts. At Macao they have tv\^o seminaries, eight European 
missionaries, and one thousand converts. 

The Italian mission has four European missionaries, and thirty 
thousand converts. 

The Spanish mission has one bishop, two European missionaries, 
and thirty-five thousand converts. 



CHINA. 



39 



aid of John the Baptist, the battle having occurred 
upon his day. The Portuguese Government allow 
St. Antonio the pay of a captain, and honour him 
with, or require from him in return, an annual feast 
of thirteen days' continuance. According to my in- 
formant, who is one of their number, and has fre- 
quently participated in the festivities of the season, 
they suppose it by no means inconsistent with the 
pleasure of the saint to indulge in excesses which 
set at defiance all the laws of temperance, and bring 
their religion into discredit among their heathen 
neighbours. It is diflScult to conceive how grosser 
idolatry could exist, than that which prompts some 
of the acts of their devotion to this deified hero. 
They are not satisfied with bowing down before the 
graven image," but, not admitting the very heathen's 
distinction — I should say, his professed distinction — 
between the deity and his representation, they carry 
the figure in procession, with military pomp, to make 
an annual visit to the image of St. Francis, presiding 
at another church. 

To the mind of one who feels an interest in the 
conversion of the world, it is a painful circumstance i 
that the only spot under European controul, in the 
whole empire of China, should exhibit to the heathen 
the most gross and absurd notions of that holy reli- 
gion whose name thev attach to their worse than 
Pagan abominations. Macao, and Manilla, on the 
island of Luzon, which are among the most advan- 



40 



CHINA. 



tageous foreign posts for Chinese missions, are subject 
to a power, and exert an influence, which have the 
double tendency of keeping the true light from 
entering, and of prejudicing the minds of the heathen 
against it, should it penetrate. The same anti-christian 
influence prevails in the Chinese island of Hainan, 
where the Roman Catholic religion is said to be still 
prevalent ; and in many of the adjacent kingdoms on 
the west and south, where the language is best 
known, and the intercourse with China most frequent. 

Japan, on the east, has been arrayed as powerfully 
against the religion of the Cross, as Satanic malice 
could desire. So that, by means of this spurious faith, 
the great enemy of God and man has attempted to 
raise impregnable barriers against the introduction of 
the Gospel into China. But how unable the policy and 
forces of hell, though intimidating to the faithless 
mind of man, to resist the power and wisdom which 
shall soon be brought to bear against them! Every 
difficulty of the kind should but simplify and 
strengthen our faith in that word which is pledged 
to destroy them all, and the striking and speedy 
accomplishment of which, shall doubtless be a sub- 
ject of admiration and gratitude to all the followers 
of Christ. 

In the town and immediate vicinity of Macao are 
several Chinese temples, to which a few priests of the 
Budah sect are attached. The most remarkable 
is situated on the south-west side of the town. It 



CHIN A. 



41 



consists of a number of small buildings, on the 
acclivity of a steep hill, grouped in a fanciful manner 
with large upright rocks and overhanging trees. 
The rough lines of nature and the polish of art are 
blended in striking contrast in this grotesque form 
of Pagan superstition. 

The principal part of the time unoccupied in our 
excursions, was agreeably passed in the family of Dr. 
Morrison, who had left the place but a few days 
before our arrival. We were happy to learn that the 
Doctor had had the recent gratification of baptizing 
another native convert. The English Factory, during 
their semi-annual residence here, are allowed to 
have service performed by their chaplain ; and Dr. 
Morrison is not prevented from holding a religious 
meeting, every Sabbath, in his own dwelling. 

On the morning of the 24th we left this pleasant 
retreat, and, wafted by a fresh breeze, reached the 
ship about noon. As each had expected that some 
of the rest would cater for our breakfast, we were 
obliged to satisfy a craving appetite upon the boiled 
rice and salted cabbage of our temperate boatmen. 
On our arrival, we found that a small European 
vessel had been sent for us from Canton, but, owing 
to the uncertainty of our return, had sailed. The 
event left us the choice of remaining a number of 
days in the ship, in this cold and rainy season, or of 
venturing in a native fast boat,'' contrary to one of 
their barbarous prohibitions. We soon decided on 



CHINA. 



the latter alternative, and left the ship in the twilight 
of evening. We were obliged to spend the night in 
an apartment fitted up for the lodgings of the boat- 
men and the residence of their gods. A group of 
small gilded images, seated in a shrine decorated 
with coloured paper, occupied one corner, and re- 
ceived the homage of the crew. Before the shrine 
an incense stick of sandal-wood was kept lighted, 
and a lamp burning. The cabin, in which the idols, 
part of the crew, ourselves and baggage, were stowed, 
was so low that we could barely sit upright. After 
changing our position as often as an opposing wind 
changed the course of our boat, we found ourselves 
at day-break but a very short distance above the last 
fort. This was a point of safety which the men had 
toiled hard and silently to gain, before the light 
should expose us to those on shore. During the 
morning, though they scrutinized with a good glass 
every object of suspicion, they appeared to place so 
much dependence upon the performance of their 
brigantine, and their own muscular assistance, as to 
dismiss all apprehension, and to labour with much 
cheerfulness. Indeed, as far as we are capable of 
judging, liveliness is a prominent characteristic of 
the Chinese. 

Low lands appropriated to the culture of rice, and 
ranges of hills with no other verdure than a few 
scattered trees, made up the scenery between our 
position at day-break and Whampoa. A few temples 



I: 



C HlN A. 



43 



appeared in different parts of the low lands, and one 
of considerable elevation crowned the summit of a 
high hill. 

About the middle of the afternoon we reached 
Whampoa, the principal anchorage for vessels en- 
gaged in lawful traffic with China. A recent diffi- 
culty with the Government had detained the stately- 
ships employed in the service of the East India Com- 
pany ; and the yearly fleet, consisting of twenty ves^ 
sels or upwards, with those of other nations em" 
ployed in the China trade, were moored within a 
short distance of each other. The number of sea- 
men engaged in the Company's service, and attached 
to the shipping in the harbour, is about three i 
thousand. What a con^'reg^ation mioht be gathered, 
from those who speak the English language, if the 
walls of national and ecclesiastical separation were 
entirely demolished, and if the custom of keeping 
holy the Lord's-day were universally observed ! 

The distance between Whampoa and Canton is 
about twelve miles. A strong opposing current kept 
us four hours on the way, and made it nine in the 
evening before we arrived. For some time after we 
started, there was sufficient light to distinguish every 
remarkable object on land and water. Among the 
former are large pagodas, towering in the air, and dark- 
ened and moulderino; with ag^e. Two of them are 
situated on small eminences — ** high places — com- 
pared with tha surrounding country, and stand forth 



44 



CHINA. 



with commanding prominence. They are nine stories 
in height, of an octagonal form, with doors or niches 
on each side of every story, and gradually diminishing 
in circumference to the top. Their sides and summits 
are partially covered with shrubs and herbage, spring- 
ing from beds of earth, which it must have required 
ages to collect and consolidate 

As might be expected, there is a great variety in 
the structure and internal arrangements of the boats. 
Those intended for sea are too primitive and clumsy 
to be any thing but the product of the earliest and 
dullest invention. The bow and stern rise to a 
great elevation, and present such a dangerous sur- 
face to the wind, as to account for the numerous 
losses sustained every year. European improve- 
ments are disallowed. Some of the small Government 
barges display a degree of taste and skill in construc- 
tion which form a strong contrast to the mass around 
them. The consequence and curse of spiritual 
ignorance — alas! too common where that ignorance is 
wilful— are apparent in many of the boats decorated 
and furnished to decoy '^the simple/' and lead him 
** into paths inclining unto the dead.'' 

We had scarcely gained half our distance, when 

* These tovv^ers were erected by the descendants of Dchingis 
Khan, in the Yuen dynasty, during the thirteenth and fourteenth 
centuries. It was a prevalent superstition of the times tkat they 
were effectual in repressing demoniacal and noxious influences 
in the surrounding country, and that their efficacy was graduated 
by their height. 



CHINA. 



45 



" * * » * Sorrowing we beheld 
The night come on ; but soon did night display 
More wonders than it veiled/^ 
As the shades of evening darkened round us, 
great numbers of lamps broke through the gloom, 
arid appeared either ranged in rows, almost as far as 
the eye could reach, or changing their position and 
varying the general aspect, according to the different 
directions of the moving vessels. The scene was 
more like magic than reality, and calculated to awaken 
ideas, or call up visions, which seldom visit collected 
minds in wakeful hours. As we approached the city 
our progress became more interrupted by crowds 
of boats, and such was their density when we arrived 
within a short distance of the landing-place, that 
the men were obliged to exchange their oars for 
short paddles, and work their way through whatever 
opening they could find or form. 

On Thursday, February 25th, 1830, we reached 
our ultimate destination, and were most kindly 
received by C. W. Talbot, Esq*, the consular agent, 
whose father and brother had been our fellow-passen- 
gers, and to whose hospitality we were commended by 
our friends in America. We were soon visited by Dr. 
Morrison, who, as might be expected, welcomed his 
fellow-missionaries into this lono:-neo;lected field with 
no ordinary joy. A career of more than two-and- 
twenty years' labour, under the many embarrassments 
and trials which w^ere experienced, especially at first, 
without the permanent assistance of a single com- 



46 



CHINA. 



panion — his health, too, being shattered by toil and 
anxieties — have, as might be supposed, sufficiently 
prepared him to welcome those whose avowed ob- 
ject is the same, and who may be expected to find 
their highest interest in its promotion. From many 
of the residents, and especially from those of our 
own countrymen to whom we had letters, we soon 
enjoyed all those polite and kind attentions which 
are calculated to reconcile a stranger to an abode in 
foreign parts. 



47 



CHAPTER III. 

CHINA — CANTON AND ITS VICINITY. 

It may be acceptable to the reader to interrupt the 
chronological order of events, and present at the com- 
mencement a picture of Canton, and the places and 
objects in its vicinity which are the most worthy of 
notice. 

The city stands upon the north bank of the 
Chookeang, or Pearl river, nearly eighty miles from 
^he sea. Its site is almost a level : it is bounded in 
the rear by a range of naked, uninteresting hills. 
Including the river and neighbourhood, the popula- 
tion has been estimated at fifteen hundred thousand. 
The city itself is surrounded by walls, within which 
the stranger is not allowed to enter : the suburbs, or 
unwalled town, of about equal extent and populous- 
ness, being alone accessible to foreigners. There is 
nothing in the locality of the place, the arrangement of 
its streets, or the style of its buildings, calculated to 
call forth the admiration of the visitor. The scene, 
it is true, affords abundant interest to the stranger; 
but it is the interest of novelty alone, and soon 
leayes the mind without an agreeable recollection. 



48 



CHINA. 



The houses are generally low, narrow, and exceedingly 
compact. Some of the factories, or hongs, especially 
those occupied by the tea»merchants, are immensely 
spacious, and contain a vast number of compart- 
ments ; but they must be entered before you can 
determine their locality, as there is nothing to indi- 
cate them externally. 

The width of the streets varies from about three to 
fifteen feet, measuring from house to house; and the 
average width would probably not exceed eight feet. 
Even in passing through the business districts, I 
have frequently extended my arms and reached the 
opposite houses. The principal streets are occupied 
by merchants and mechanics, and their shops are 
so constructed as to open in front, and expose their 
contents to the observation of the passenger. Boards, 
with large painted or gilded characters, intended for 
signs, are placed before each door, and, facing the 
direction of the street, constitute its most ornamental 
objects. 

The trades are generally found in close vicinity. 
The different classes of mechanics bind themselves 
to certain conventional regulations, and each party 
has a public hall of meeting, for consultation, feast- 
ing, and dramatic amusements. Those articles which 
are most saleable to foreigners are broug-ht to the 
streets adjacent to the factories. It is amusing^to 
examine the heterogeneous contents of many of these 
shops, and no less so to find that the spirit of the 



CHINA. 



49 



proprietor is still more accommodating than his well- 
stored house. If your search does not discover the 
required article, you have only to ask for it, and if 
attainable any where, or by any means, upon your 
terms, you have entered the right shop, and need 
proceed no farther. 

Economy of room, to the exclusion of comfort, 
convenience, and cleanliness, appears to be the sole 
object in the lanes where the women and children 
are kenneled. This is the only specimen of do- 
mestic life accessible to the foreigner, and it is said 
that the families of persons of considerable wealth 
are obliged to exist under these circumstances. It 
requires a considerable degree of courage and per- 
severance to thread the mazes of some of these alleys, 
and emerge into air and space. Elbows and angles, 
of almost every shape, formed by the blind corners of 
buildings, oppose the progress of the adventurer, and, 
if he dare proceed, perplex him by their multiplicity. 
At the corners of the streets are wickets, which can 
be readily closed, and are well calculated to separate 
a rabble, or confine a thief. These are shut at night, 
and guarded by watchmen. 

Notwithstanding the limited space between the 
houses, the thoroughfare of the streets is in many 
places still more straitened by the stands of butchers 
fishmongers, fruiterers, hucksters, mechanics, quacks, 
and often by jugglers, story-tellers, and gamblers, 
with their attendants. As the articles exposed for 

D 



60 



CHI>(A. 



sale in the streets are chiefly adapted to the necessities 
of the day, the extreme to which the principle of 
accommodation is carried furnishes a criterion of the 
pecuniary circumstances of the mass of the people. 
Poultry and fish are divided into very minute por- 
tions. A quarter of a fowl, the head and neck, and 
frequently the entrails alone, is all they can afford. 
This of course is a piece of luxury, and designed 
merely to give a relish to their ordinary and less 
extravagant fare. Vegetables, from their cheapness, 
are so indispensable to the daily support of the 
community, that they are exposed for sale in the 
streets in the greatest profusion. But the display 
of tea in the shops is the most amusing. The 
Chinese, as is well known, drink universally the black 
teas. These are sold, not simply according to their 
qualities, but according to the strength which remains 
after their virtues have been partially extracted by 
less indigent purchasers. 

Fruit abounds in Canton. Those kinds indigenous 
to temperate regions are, indeed, of an inferior quality, 
but the tropical varieties arrive at a high perfection ; 
and a few species there are designated by Chinese 
names, and probably peculiar to that empire^. 

Besides the vigilance and skill required in navi- 
gating this channel, so narrowed and obstructed by 

* Among the fruits are the following : Oranges, lemons, 
shaddocks, pomegranates, grapes, pears, peaches, plums, ananas, 
bananas, mangoes, papaw, lie-chel, long-yuen, or-lams, diospyrns^ 
loquat, long-hok, parsimmons, &c. 



CHINA. 



51 



the numerous articles referred to, it is necessary to 
comfort and cleanliness to catch the warnings and 
watch the motions of the porters, who carry all move- 
able bodies upon their shoulders, and who constitute 
no inconsiderable portion of the moving multitude. 
Their burden is suspended to the ends or centre of 
bamboos, according to its separabihty and weight, 
and transferred, however bulky and ponderous, to 
any distance, with much dispatch. 

Such is the number of these labourers that their 
voices are constantly ringing in our ears, and such is 
the throng around them that their progress depends 
almost as much on their lungs as their muscles. 

One class, called by the Chinese horses without 
tails," address you in a more authoritative tone. 
These are the bearers of men of distinction and 
wealth, who generally appear abroad in sedan chairs, 
and often take up so much of the small streets with 
these vehicles, as to leave but a dangerous space be- 
tween them and the houses. 

Among the objects most calculated to attract the 
attention and arouse the sympathies of the Christian, 
are the indices of their moral debasement. Their 
temples ^re numerous, their gods without number. 
One or more idols, are seated in state in every 
I temple; while others, probably of inferior dignity 
^and office, are standing near. Some of these are 
frightful looking figures ; all are gross in form, 
answering to their notions of bodily elegance, or 

D 2 



52 



CHINA, 



rather of bodily comfort, which appears of higher 
importance to a Chinaman. The structure of the 
temple, as well as the number and arrangement of 
the images, depends upon the tenets of the sect to 
which they belong. 

The three leading sects in China are known, in 
the Mandarin dialect, by the names of Joo, Fuh, 
Taou — i, e. the Confucians, Buddhists, andtheTaou, 
or Alchymic sect, the mystics of the heathen world 
in China." 

The first and last originated in China; the second 
was introduced from India, soon after the Christian 
era, and, principally by means of the circulation of 
tracts, has become the most prevalent superstition in 
the empire. The Buddhists and Taou sects inculcate 
future rewards and punishments; decking the former 
in all the charms of sensuality and sloth, and repre- 
senting the latter by every horrid combination of 
bodily torture. 

Notwithstanding all the admiration heaped upon 
Confucius and his system, by ignorance in the empire, 
and infidehty in more enlightened parts, that philo- 
sopher confessed that he '^knew but little about the 
gods, and therefore preferred saying nothing on the 
subject.'' Respecting the immortality of the soul, and 
a future state of retribution, he advances nothing. 
The common opinion of his followers is, that virtue is 
rewarded and vice punished in the individuals, or in 
their posterity, only on earth. They speak of the 



CHINA. 



53 



immortal principle as being at death annihilated/' 
melted/' ''scattered.'' 

From one of the native books it appears that there 
are in China upwards of one thousand five hundred 
and sixty temples dedicated to Confucius. About 
sixty-two thousand victims— bullocks, pigs, sheep, 
deer — are annually sacrificed, and twenty-seven thou- 
sand six hundred pieces of silk offered, to the manes 
of the sage. This is the wisdom of the learned heathen, 
who generally teach that death is annihilation," 
and who sometimes affirm that there is neither God, 
angels, nor spirits." To whom, to what, do they 
pi'esent these offerings ? Like many in Christian 
lands, these very persons shew the insincerity of their 
professions in the prospect of death. Then the 
priests of Budh*', whom they despise and ridicule 
in health, are called in to give the mind some sup- 
port under its dread, if not its consciousness, of 
immortality. 

Besides the numerous temples in the city, small 
images, answering to their notions of district gods, 
are placed in the corners of the streets, and receive 
the homage of the neighbourhood. Not satisfied with 
these, every house has its family altar, either before 
the door or in the principal room, frequently in both 
places. Those in front of the house are generally 
small alcoves in a projecting platform, furnished with 
a few idols, or, more commonly, with the Chinese 



* The ConfuciaDs have no priests of their own, 



54 



CHINA. 



written character signifying God, or superior being. 
On walking out in the evening, the fumes of sandal- 
wood, of which their incense-stick is made, assail 
the senses in every direction, and their hght almost 
answers the purpose of city lamps in these narrow 
streets. These, with a few wax tapers, and one or two 
unmeaning bows of the person who prepares them, are 
the daily offerings made to the images of China. 

The popular religion of China, if definable at all, 
is probably made up of a combination of tenets held 
by the different sects in the empire, with a mixture 
of notions and customs which neither system ori- 
ginated, but which the votaries of each practise. 
Among these customs are, sacrificing to the dead, 
and burning gold and silver paper on religious occa- 
sions. The former of these customs, if not both of 
them, appears to their minds the most sacred of all 
observances^. 

The observance of the fifteenth day of the moon, 
and of its full, is almost universal. Among a people 
fond of sloth, and addicted to sensuality, it is not to be 
wondered at that feast-days should be popular, and 
their frequent recurrence welcome to those who have 
the means of providing for them. Among the most 

* The following exhortation is taken from one of their moral 
works : 

^' While (parents are) alive, on going out of doors inform them ; 
on returning, shew them your face. — When dead, also, on going 
abroad mention it (before the tablet, which they set up in every 
house at the decease of parents and relatives) ; when you return, 
keep a feast before them ; nerve them when dead^just as when alive. 



CHINA, 



55 



prevalent of their doctrines is the Buddhistic notion 
of transmigration, which hangs ^^in terrorem " over 
the more sedate and thinking class of the nation. 

According to the excellent Dr. Milne When we 
behold the best of the rulers of China, and the most 
enlightened of her sages {i, e, Confucius)^ worshipping 
any god or no god at all, just as suited time, place, 
land the taste of the age, what shall we think of their 
hearts, virtues, and productions ? Can we suppose 
those systems capable of directing the bulk of the 
people to God, which left their authors to w^orship 
the heavens and the earth, mountains and rivers, the 
gods of the kitchen and the spirits of the dead V 

The current of Chinese idolatry widened and 
deepened as it flowed, by the accession of tributary 
streams from Western and Eastern Tartary. Most 
of the forms of mythology which make any figure 
in the page of history, now exist in China; except 
that their indecent parts, and their direct tendency 
to injure human life, have been cut oflP. China 
has her Diana, her^-Eolus, her Ceres, her Esculapius, 
her Mars, her Mercury, her Neptune, and her Pluto, 
as well as the western Pagans had. To use their 
own expression, ' her gods are in number like the 
sands of Havy river.' She has gods celestial, terres- 
trial, and subterraneous— gods of the hills, of the 
valleys, of the woods, of the districts, of the family, 

* In his Retrospect of the First Ten Years of the Protestant ]\Iis- 
sion to China, p. 28. 



56 



CHINA. 



of the shop, and of the kitchen. She adores the gods 
who are supposed to preside over the thunder, the 
rain, the fire; over the grain ; over births and deaths, 
and over the small-pox. She also vi^orships the genii 
of the mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas, together with 
birds, beasts, and fishes/' 

" Astrology, divination, geomancy, and necro- 
mancy, every where prevail ; spells and charms every 
one possesses." 

As might be expected, the god of wealth is the 
most popular deity among the tradesmen and mer- 
chants. He is represented with a wedge of gold in 
one hand. 

On the door of their houses a figure is painted, 
which they call the god of the door. His protection 
is deemed of incalculable importance to the family. 
The inscription of his name is often employed as a 
substitute. 

To a foreigner, the compressed feet of many of 
the woman met in the streets of Canton, is an object 
of much curiosity. That human nature would admit 
of such a distortion, or robbery, or rather both 
together, I could not have imagined. The smallest 
are said, by the Chinese, to be but three inches in 
length ; four is certainly not an unfrequent size. In 
fact they do not deserve the name of feet, for there is 
nothing but the great toe — if the term great may be 
applied to such an object — left in its natural position ; 
all the others being wrested from their appointed placQ 



CHINA* 



57 



and oflSce, bent under the ball of the foot, and there 
made to answer the purpose of its sole. This accounts 
for their painful and unnatural gait. The ancle, in 
many cases, is not, as has been generally asserted, en- 
larged. This custom, though by no means universal, 
is not restricted to the higher circles of society. 
Women in the most straitened circumstances, often 
in mendicant poverty, are seen waddling with careful 
steps in pursuit of their daily support. These, how- 
ever, are said to have been reduced in pecuniary 
circumstances. 

The fraternity of beggars are objects of true com- 
passion, and thrust themselves into notice at Can- 
ton. This class is very numerous in China; and, 
whether an indispensable requisite for office, or a 
necessary appeal to the sympathies of a Chinaman, 
there are very few exceptions to universal and total 
blindness. When alone, each feels his way with 
a stick, but frequently a number string themselves 
in a row, and depend upon the sagacity of one blind 
leader, or the more favoured eyes of a youthful 
guide. The success of their application depends 
upon the skilful use of bamboo sticks, iron pans, 
musical instruments, and their own vocal powers ; 
and such is the force of custom, that, when they 
enter a house, they are never expelled until their 
object is gained. It is good policy not to be too 
hasty in acceding to their requests, otherwise the 
same grating application is likely to be forthwith 

D 5 



58 



CHINA. 



repeated by a successor, who takes care that there 
shall be no long pause in the music. Groups of 
them frequently assemble, and set up a concert of 
all their instruments in one place. On some days 
there is scarcely a shop from which these sounds do 
not proceed. 

One company of them sally forth at twilight, and 
go the round of some of the principal streets con- 
tiguous to the factories, including the walk in front 
of the foreign buildings. Their application is usually 
chaunted in mournful strains, and the whole region 
is made vocal by their numerous and dissonant voices, 
A Chinaman is stationed before the factories, ycleped 
^' king of the beggars," who preserves order among 
them in his dominions. 

There is said to be an organized association of 
beggars in Canton, consisting of about one thousand 
members, and bearing the epithet of The Heavenly 
Flower Society." These pay a fee of admittance, 
bind themselves to certain rules, and when disobedient 
incur a severe penalty. The Government recognizes 
a head man among them, who is made accountable 
for the conduct of the whole community. Still lower 
in the scale of human degradation are a few of the 
most loathsome and miserable beings I ever beheld. 
With matted hair, bodies partially incrusted with 
dirt and covered with vermin, and but a tattered 
mat to conceal their nakedness, they wander about, 
eating the rejected offals of fish and vegetables, and 



CHINA. 



lodging on whatever heap of rubbish they may 
stumble upon when sleepy. Some of them are out- 
cast lepers, who are obliged by law to wear a peculiar 
hat, and mat around the shoulders, to designate them 
as objects of infection. (See Leviticus xiii. 45.) 

Surrounded by the city, or the unwalled town, 
which has been described, and in a hne with the 
river, are the factories assigned to the foreign resi' 
dents in Canton. They are separated from the shore 
of the river by the largest, and almost the only, open 
space in the vicinity. The two occupied by the 
agents of the Dutch and English Companies have 
extensive verandahs in front, and walks enclosed by 
high walls to the water's edge. Most of them 
are built in a row, and extend about a hundred 
yards in front. A street and a large projecting 
building, occupied by one of the Hong merchants, 
separate this row from others, known by the 
name of the French and Danish factories. All the 
factories extend in blocks to an irregular depth, and 
are separately occupied by merchants and visitors. 
The communication is an avenue, generally through 
the lower story of each, or between distinct com- 
partments. The appearance of these buildings is 
quite imposing, especially when contrasted with the 
/neighbourhood. 

The open space before the factories is the rendez- 
vous of multitudes of the natives, who assemble daily^ 
to transact business, gratify curiosity, or kill tim^. 



60 



CHINA. 



It is level for a short distance; beyond which it 
stretches over a large pile of rubbish, deposited here 
after the desolating fire of 1822, and retained, not- 
withstanding numerous applications for its removal, 
as a lasting and growing nuisance to foreigners. 

When the morning opens upon this scene, silence 
is at an end, and the ears of the stranger are assailed 
by a most peculiar combination of sounds. Human 
voices of harsh, drawling tones; cries of confined 
dogs and cats ; screams of roughly handled poultry ; 
notes of feathered songsters, some of them admirably 
gifted and trained ; with, at times, an accompaniment 
of very unmusical instruments — all unite in this 
inharmonious concert. 

The occupations of the tradesmen are varied. 
Meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, drugs, manufactures — 
every thing saleable — is brought to this general 
market. Many of them convey their portable kitchens 
hither, and prepare such dishes as suit the palates 
and purses of this promiscuous assembly. Others 
plant their barber's shop, or its necessary apparatus, 
in a convenient place, and spend their leisure hours 
in conversation and lolling about. Those who fre- 
quent the place for trade are less numerous probably 
than the groups of idlers, who pass their time in 
listening to stories, witnessing juggling tricks, attend- 
ing the operations and lectures of empirics, gaping 
at objects of novelty, and, too frequently, endeavour- 
ing to obtain each other's money by gambling. 



CHINA. 



61 



When the sun is oppressive the crowd retires, 
with the exception of the hucksters, who intercept 
his scorching beams by temporary tilts. The erection 
of tents is a Hberty not sanctioned by law, or, rather, 
contrary to the oral prohibitions of the petty officers 
who have the square in charge. Consequently, when 
men of authority make their appearance the scene 
suddenly changes. There is the most hasty dispatch, 
from the first moment of alarm, until every thing 
is removed that militates against their orders. Their 
exit is regarded as the signal for restoration, and all 
things speedily revert to their former state. This 
pretended subjection, joined with real contempt for 
authority when it opposes individual gain, is said to 
be a prominent feature of the nation. 

The projecting building referred to above as the 
only one in the row occupied by Chinamen, is so 
situated as to throw its shade, as the sun declines, 
directly before the American hong. This is the place 
of general concourse from the middle of the after- 
noon until evening, and the crowed being then most 
concentrated, the clamour is quite deafening. Neither 
is the darkness of night always attended with its 
appropriate stillness ; for, though the rabble of the 
day disperses, there is another company, consisting 
chiefly of the coolies of the factories, who, with a 
few noisy cooks, anxious to apprize the neighbour- 
hood of their presence, continue their conversations 
and engagements until a late hour. 



62 



CHINA. 



The insatiable curiosity of many who appear daily 
before the factories, is both amusing and annoying. 
Groups of strangers frequently visit the square, and, 
probably from having previously no correct idea of the 
style of the buildings and the appearance of foreigners, 
they gaze upon every novel object with a fixedness 
of posture and vision like that of statues. If you ex- 
pose yourself to view in the verandah, they generally 
stand right before it ; and if you walk in front of the 
buildings, they linger as near your track as possible, 
and continue to stare as though riveted by a magic 
spell. Though tumultuous, there is, in general, very 
little contention among this concourse. The least 
appearance of an unlawful commotion calls forth a 
public officer, who resides for the purpose in full 
view, and who is exceedingly efficient in quelling a 
riot and scattering offenders. When occasion requires, 
he summons to his aid one or two lictors, who, armed 
with scourges, and apparently vested with a discre- 
tionary power in using them, occasion a precipitate 
retreat. The guilty are frequently chased, and, when 
caught, dragged along to the hall of justice by their 
pendant cues, which are cruelly drawn over the front 
of the head, and made to press the face toward the 
ground. 

In surveying this mass of accountable beings, there 
are many points of great interest to attract the eye of 
Christian compassion and benevolence. Independ- 
ently of those common to all the heathen, there are 



CHINA. 



63 



facts of importance peculiar to this daily throng. 
Great numbers of them can read, and do read every 
publication that meets their eyes. It is customary to 
paste up advertisements in the most public places of 
the square and the streets, and the groups generally 
found throughout the day gathered round them prove 
their eagerness to catch at every piece of information. 
Many of these hand-bills set forth the pretensions of 
quacks, and are often of such an immoral character 
as to prove that God has indeed given the people 
up to vile affections " who can endure them. What 
a place for the operations of a press sacred to the cause 
of the Redeemer ! 

Another fact of interest is, that this daily multitude 
consists of persons from different parts of the interior, 
as well as from the immediate vicinity. If business or 
pleasure brings them to the city, they can scarcely 
possess the curiosity of the nation if they return 
without a visit to the thirteen hongs, as they term 
the foreign buildings. 

How far the missionary would be allowed to pro- 
ceed in his intercourse with the natives, or whether 
those obstacles which are considered insuperable by 
some, would not, if they do really exist, yield to a little 
courage and perseverance, remains to be tested. One 
rule of action among the Chinese, which should never 
be forgotten by those who labour fortheir best interests, 
is, that they seldom, if ever, grant a request, for the 
most trifling thing, when applied to ; and very seldom 



64 



CHINA. 



oppose, or persist in opposing, any reasonable at- 
tempt, if a little determination and fearlessness is 
evinced. 

The necessity of having the Scriptures translated, 
and other preparatory works of indispensable import- 
ance accomplished, have not only consumed the time 
of the senior missionary, but obliged him to leave 
experiments to those whose presence could be more 
easily dispensed with — who have not the first toils of 
a mission before them. 

It has been mentioned that the Choo-keang, or 
Pearl river, runs in front of the factories, and forms 
the southern boundary of Canton. In passing to and 
from the shipping I had a favourable opportunity of 
viewing the numerous boats, which on our arrival 
were partially obscured by the shades of night. 
The magic appearance of the first evening had 
nearly vanished. It was evident that from ignorance 
as to the locality of the city, some of the hghts on 
shore had been imagined to be in the boats, and the 
level site of the city mistaken for extensive water 
scenery. Yet enough remained to attract and distract 
the attention, and to keep the mind in a glow of excite- 
ment. The boats are much more numerous abreast of 
the city, and opposite the villages bordering on the 
river, than in the intervening waters. These are, for the 
most part, the residences of families ; and as the owners 
of many of them are employed on shore, they are 
kept more stationary than the others. This, however. 



CHINA. 



65 



is not so much the result of choice, or inability on the 
part of the women to manage their boats, as it is the 
want of an adequate inducement to change their 
position. Even children of both sexes, as soon as 
they are capable of assisting, are taught to labour to 
the extent of their strength ; so that the absence of 
the father and husband is no preventive to any under- 
taking, that is sufficiently profitable. When the 
parties are dependent for a livelihood upon the hire 
of their boats, women appear to labour quite as 
diligently as the men ; by which means they acquire 
all the dexterity and endurance, and, I may add, 
coarseness, of which human nature is susceptible. 
It is not uncommon to see them tugging at the oar 
with an infant tied to their backs, and its head, if 
feeble, keeping time to the motion of the mother's 
body. 

Such is the multitude and density of these dwell- 
ings in some favourite regions, that they often conceal 
a large surface of the element on which they rest, 
and appear jumbled together in a solid mass. In 
other places they are arranged with contiguous 
sides, and extend from each shore, leaving about a 
third of the river clear. Groups of them are often 
detached from the land and moored in regular 
rows; affording the means of communication among 
themselves, and preventing intercourse with the 
shore. Besides these family boats, there are many 
others, of much larger dimensions, which are employed 



66 



CHINA. 



in conveying articles of commerce between Canton 
and different parts of the empire 

Strange vessels generally select the centre of the 
river for an anchorage, and, yielding to the force of a 
powerful current, range in the direction of the stream. 
Besides these clusters of vessels, there are numbers 
of insulated crafts, of different sizes, scattered on 
all sides, and equally tending to obstruct the passage 
of the river. In fact, it is necessary to keep a sharp 
look-out, and to steer, in some places, the most 
crooked course, to avoid coming in contact with 
stationary and moving boats. One class of these 
dwellings, and it comprises a large number, is com- 
posed of the sties of a degraded portion of the com- 
munity, many of whom, it is said, are early sold, 
by their inhuman parents, to perpetual infamy and 
wretchedness. These are distinguished from all the 
rest by the superior style of their structure and 
embeUishments. 

It is a singular fact, that the Chinese look upon 
those who dwell in boats as a distinct race from 
themselves. They consider them as low people, and 
aliens, and refuse to intermarry with them. Tradition 
says that they came from outside the mouth of the 
river. The grandfather of the present emperor was 
the first who naturalized them. Before his time they 
w^ere not permitted to land. 

Neither is the whole of the water population con- 
fined to floating residences. Houses erected on piles, 



CHINA. 



67 



and superior to the ordinary influence of wind and 
tide^ extend in some places a considerable distance 
from the shore opposite to Canton. Between the 
villages, as has been stated, the boats are less 
numerous ; but, as might be supposed, there are 
numbers constantly passing, besides many engaged 
in fishing, or whatever employment may offer along 
the shore. Their vessels of war indicate either an 
amicable disposition, a friendly neighbourhood, or 
a great deficiency of skill in naval architecture. The 
strength of their materials would give them an 
advantage in defensive warfare ; but they are built 
on an antiquated and clumsy plan, and calculated 
neither to contend with a tumultuous sea, nor to 
confront a modern foe. 

Besides these, a number of galliots are em- 
ployed by government, to defend the trade, and 
prevent the depredations of the ladrones, or pirates, 
by whom the rivers and coasts were formerly much 
infested. These are well built, and generally manned 
by as many rowers as can occupy the seats and 
employ the oars with advantage. Superstition, or 
old custom, has furnished them all with eyes ^. 
Their conductors, however, appear capable of seeing 
but one object, and in the pursuit of that they 
stop not to inquire whether friend or foe suffers. All 



* Every Chinese ho<xi of any size, has two large eyes painted, 
one on each side of the bow. 



68 



CHINA* 



these unprincipled officers of Government can be 
bribed, and that to the connivance, and even pro- 
secution, of a traffic (the opium trade) which is not 
only interdicted by the laws of the country, but is 
the destruction of its vital interests. 

Among these fluviatic tribes, every convenience of 
land, as well as water, is enjoyed. Eatables, materials 
for sacrifice, and other articles of equal demand, are 
furnished to their hand ; while barbers, play-actors, 
and all who can reap advantage by administering to 
their comfort or amusement, pursue the same system 
of mutual accommodation. 

The appearance of the river is by no means an 
incorrect barometer, indicating especially those great 
changes in the atmosphere which are subjects of 
apprehension to these experienced weather spies. 
The difference between the water scenery in a fair 
day, and a storm, or the prospect of a gale, is very 
striking. One would scarcely believe that the 
numbers who appear so thickly congregated in 
different parts of the river in good weather, could 
crowd into the compass which confines them when 
danger is feared. In times of apprehension the river 
appears as clear as those of other countries; its 
width is still, however, considerably contracted by 
the boats closely ranged along the shores. 

Of all the different descriptions of craft, there are 
very few destitute of shrines, images, or inscriptions 
of some kind, and the necessary apparatus for their 



CHINA. 



69 



daily ofFerings. Every morning and evening, and when- 
ever evils are deprecated or special blessings craved, 
they fly to their altar, apply a piece of consecrated 
paper, oiled for the purpose, to the burning lamp or 
incense-stick, and, when it blazes, throw it into the 
water, and bow to the imaginary spirit of the deep. 

By a recent statement, the number of family boats 
subject to an annual tax, in the vicinity of Canton ^ 
alone, is computed at fifty thousand ; while the larger 
vessels employed between Canton and Whampoa are 
estimated at eighteen thousand more. Neither does 
this give us a full view of the vast number of perish- 
ing idolaters who inhabit the waters of this region. 
The amount is greatly swelled by the men employed 
in the large canal boats, which ply between this port 
and different parts of the interior ; and by the crews 
of the junks employed in the coasting trade, numbers 
of which are constantly lying in the harbour. A 
communication is kept up between Canton and every 
part of the empire ; and if the former maintain its 
commercial advantages, and receive from Christians 
the attention it merits, it must become one of the 
most important mission stations in the world. 

One of the principal modes of recreation among I 
foreigners, is rowing and sailing in small boats, which 
they keep for the purpose. In these excursions it 
is often necessary to pass through fleets of native 
craft ; and thus to come in contact with crowds of 
persons, who might be taught and furnished with 



CHINA. 



books. It is true they evince a shyness towards 
foreigners, which may be partially inspired by the 
officers of Government ; but it is a question whether 
this might not be overcome by a little perseverance, 
and whether, when conversing with them became a 
common practice, it would not cease to awaken 
suspicion. 

Opposite to Canton is the island of Hainam, so 
called from its situation on the south side of the 
river. Here we have been in the habit of taking 
an occasional ramble, it being the only place in the 
immediate neighbourhood where country scenery can 
be enjoyed. After passing through a number of 
narrow, filthy lanes, you emerge into ^in extensive 
champaign, and have the liberty of wandering as far 
as health or inclination dictates. 

The land is generally low, partially inundated by 
the tide waters, and devoted to the cultivation of rice, 
for which it is well adapted. Where its surface is not 
too level and saturated, it is arranged in terraces, and 
planted with a great variety of vegetables, ginger, a 
species of indigo, &c. The fields are divided by ridges, 
which answer the purpose of walks, and are generally 
flagged with a coarse granite. With the exception 
of a very few scattered houses, the farmers reside in 
villages surrounded with walls. These villages we 
have often approached ; though at times it has been 
necessary to avoid them, to keep without the reach 
of the stones and dirt with which the boys occa- 



CHINA. 



71 



sionally annoyed us. Almost every piece of rising 
ground is consecrated to the burial of the dead, and 
the vast multitudes crowded together in these spa- 
cious cemetries proclaim the dominion of the king 
of terrors. We were interested in the examination 
of the bridges thrown across the natural and arti- 
ficial streams ; the strength of their materials, and 
firmness of their structure, appeared as though they 
had survived, and would long defy, the waste of 
ages. Some of the slabs of granite were twenty-four 
feet in length. 

But the greatest object of curiosity is the large 
Pagan establishment belonging to the sect of Budh. 
It is situated near the margin of the river, is enclosed 
by a wall, and includes within its limits an area of 
many acres. On entering the gate the eye is ar- 
rested by a few majestic banyans, which appear to 
have withstood the storms of centuries, and found a 
congenial soil within these sacred precincts. Passing 
up a central walk, the avenue leads through two 
buildings, a short distance apart, in each of which 
are seated colossal figures, intended as warders to 
the temple. The countenance and attitude of some 
of them are intended to express the deepest rage. 
A little farther are two buildings, directly opposite 
to each other, to which flagged walks branch off 
from the main avenue. These contain a number 
of famous military demigods, one of whom has been 
adopted as the patron deity of the reigning family. 



72 



CHINA. 



After this come successively three large halls, inter- 
rupting the central walk, and containing a variety 
of idols, of different dimensions and appearances. In 
one of them are seated three huge figures, designed 
to illustrate the triune manifestations of Budh, — the 
past, present, and future. Eighteen images, the 
disciples of Budh, are arranged on each side of the 
hall. The Manchou Tartar family, on the throne 
of China/' say its monarchs, are these disciples of 
Budh appearing again on the stage of the vi^orld.'' 
Such are their ideas of the metempsychosis. 

Each of these principal halls contains a number of 
ornamental pillars. Their roofs are generally made 
to project, with the low and convex sweep of pri- 
mitive architecture, and decorated with grotesque 
monsters intended to represent dragons and lions. 

Besides these principal buildings, there are others, 
situated on each side of the enclosed space, employed 
as cells for lodging, a dining apartment, idol halls, a 
printing room, pens for animals, and all that is 
necessary for the support of their worship and them- 
selves. Their library contains books of many sizes 
and forms, chiefly prayers untranslated from the Pali, 
or sacred language. 

No free-will offering to their gods is considered 
more acceptable than living domestic animals libe- 
rally supported till they die. These are most care- 
fully preserved and feasted, until choked with fat, or 
worn out with age. The eyes of some of the hogs 



CHINA, 



73 



are entirely concealed ; a deep crevice indicates the 
place of their interment. 

The whole number of priests belonging to the 
establishment is between one and two hundred. 
There is evidently a great distinction of ranks among 
them. Some are respectable in appearance, and 
much respected ; others are clothed in rags, and beg 
about the streets of Canton. 

We saw about seventy engaged in their daily 
devotions, in one of the largest halls. The youngest 
was about twelve years of age, and the eldest verg- 
ing on threescore and ten. They were all dressed 
in their robes, and spent about an hour in droning 
their cabalistic words, aided and timed by the beat of 
metal vessels. During the hour, they were alternately 
kneeling, knocking their heads, standing, bowing, 
and walking in single file round the hall. 

The whole spectacle was calculated to impress a 
feeling heart with compassion. It was deeply affect- 
ing to see so many, apparently in the last stage of 
this probationary existence, trusting to a delusion 
which had impressed its own unmeaningness upon 
their countenances, while the younger ones were 
early imbibing the same stupifying lesson. 

In all our rambles through the country and villages 
of Hainam, there has been nothing to discourage the 
hope, that, having the ability of communicating with 
the natives, we might tax our strength to the utmost 
in teaching them the glad tidings of great joy*-'' 

£ 



74 



CHINA. 



For some days after our arrival we were visited by- 
crowds of merchants and mechanics, whose object 
none could mistake. Of course their principal busi- 
ness is with our mercantile fellow-passengers. They 
generally understand a little English, but their voca- 
bulary is so limited and corrupt that it is at first 
impossible to comprehend their meaning. With the 
exception of two or three, who have spent some time 
I in England or America, there is probably not one of 
j their number to whom even simple ideas expressed 
in correct diction would be intelligible. There must 
be a system of mutual accommodation, or nothing 
can be done v/ith them. 

Some of the most familiar vocables in this strange 
compound belong neither to correct Chinese, English, 
nor Portuguese, but are a corruption of each, with 
an admixture of a few other words, said by philolo- 
gists to be traceable to no language, living or dead. 
Many of our syllables have sounds to which their 
organs of speech have never been trained ; and conse- 
quently, when uttered by them, they appear so unlike 
themselves as not to be recognised by their old and 
best acquaintance. 

Their own idiom is retained in some cases, and a 
literal translation of words attempted, which, from the 1 
great difference of structure and figurative allusion 
in the two languages, would frequently convey to the 
mind of a novice any idea as readily as the one | 
intended. ^ 



CHINA. 



75 



The appearance of these men, and of the Chinese 
in general, both male and female, differs in some 
respects from my pre-conceived notions. Those pecu- 
^iiarities which are the most striking to the stranger 
are, the great variety of complexion, the general flat- 
ness of face and uniformity of features, and especially 
the strange formation of the eye, not only with its 
internal angle curved, as has been noticed by other 
writers, but with the lid in many cases so small as 
to appear unfit for its natural use. This last pe- 
culiarity is most remarkable among children. The 
lid appears unnaturally distended when the eye is 
open ; at the same time it covers so much of the ball 
of the eye as to produce the impression that the 
latter is uncomfortably confined. With the exception 
of the occiput, the heads of the men are shaved : in 
that region, if its luxuriance will admit, it is permitted 
to grow until it comes in contact with their heels. In 
this province it is worn in a pendant plait ; the cords 
with which it is interwoven frequently supplying the 
deficiency of its length. It is quite a comment on 
fashion — old custom,'' as the Chinese term it — to 
compare with the popularity and prevalence of the 
one here described, the recency of its date and the 
reproach of its origin. Upon the Tartar conquest, 
not two centuries ago, the Chinese were compelled to 
adopt this style of wearing their hair, as a mark o 
subjugation. Many considered it such a disgrace 
that they preferred losing their heads to their hair : 

E 2 



70 



CHINA. 



now it has become an ornament, and a mark of proud 
distinction. 

The girls wear the long plait, after the fashion 
of the men, but do not shave the other parts of the 
head. After marriage the hair is braided upon the 
head, and decked with a profusion of flowers and 
jewels, according to the rank or means of the pos- 
sessor. The ordinary style of dress of both sexes is 
nearly alike : it consists of loose pantaloons, and an 
over-garment, or robe, with long dangling sleeves^ 
which varies in length from the knee to the ground. 
Their girdles, hke those of the Jews, frequently an- 
swer the purpose of purses. Their stockings have no 
reference to the shape or size of the limbs ; and their 
shoes have thick, clumsy soles, turning up in front,^ 
and destitute of that elasticity which gives a spring 
im walking. 



CHINA. 



77 



CHAPTER IV. 

CHINA — CO N TIN U ED. 

Having made these general remarks upon the country ( 
and its inhabitants, we pass on to relate a few of those 
incidents which occurred at the time, and which will 
give some idea of a residence in China. Two facts, 
however, must be borne in mind: the first is, that 
the writer did not immediately enter upon the duties 
of a foreign missionary, but devoted the chief part of 
his time to those who spoke his own language, at ^ 
Canton and Whampoa. His first engagement was 
with the American-Seamen's Society. The second 
<;onsideration is, that, during his residence at Canton, 
lie knew nothing of the language, and was conse- j 
<juently unable to avail himself of those opportunities ' 
of usefulness which were almost daily presented. 
This will account for the dearth of that kind of 
intelligence which is to be found in most other 
missionary journals. 

March 1st. — Yesterday (Sabbath), pursuant to 
public notice, which is generally hung up on a small 
board before the factory, Divine service was performed 
in the large room of the building in which we reside. 



78 



CHINA. 



This is the place where Dr. Morrison has been in the 
habit of preaching for the last two seasons. A chapel 
attached to the factory occupied by the English 
Company, is also open every Sabbath morning for the 
worship of God. Besides these. Dr. M. has a Chinese 
service every Lord's-day in his own room. 

Among the number of our attendants was Ah-see, 
a Chinese known to many in America ; who spent 
j several years in the United States, was partially 
educated at Cornwall, and publicly professed the 
Christian faith in New York. How far he has main- 
tained his Christian integrity I am unable to say. 
He is evidently familiar with the speech of Canaan/^ 
but there is reason to fear that his long separation 
from all religious society and external restraints, has 
proved unfavourable to the progress of his personal 
piety. One unfavourable symptom is the distance at 
which he keeps from those who might be of the most 
service to him, as well as the apparent indifference with 
which he regards the condition of his countrymen. 
Still there may be some danger of judging uncharita- 
bly, as very little is known of his private life. 

We met this evening at the room of Dr. M. for 
^ the monthly social prayer in behalf of missions. 
Though none were present but ourselves, it was 
gratifying to know that the voice of prayer, if begun 
by us, would not die. at least in the ears of the Lord, 
until thousands in other lands swelled the petition, 
and rolled it almost ^* the world around." One fact 



CHINA. 



79 



encouraged us, with respect to the conversion of 
China. Whenever the Gospel gains access, it must 
have, according to all appearance, a speedy and wide 
circulation* There is no moral power to confront 
it. The religion of the empire is baseless ; nothing 
appears to support it but one vast scaffold of igno- 
rance, which, it is believed, can withstand no shock, 
and, when it yields, must bury the whole fabric in one 
common grave, 

March loth. — On Saturday Capt. Lavender came 
to town, with the intention of taking me with him in 
the afternoon to Whampoa ; but this was prevented 
by a long-continued shower. I arose early on Sabbath 
morning, and reached the ship before breakfast. The 
Bethel flag soon waved in the breeze, and the silent 
invitation was answered by an unusually large number 
from the two American vessels in port. 

This morning was spent in visiting two of the 
three islands contiguous to the shipping, and acces- 
sible to foreigners. They are known by the names of 
Whampoa, French, and Dane's Islands. Here, 
strangers enjoy the liberty of exercising their limbs, 
if they confine themselves within certain limits ; and 
of burying their dead, if they comply with the exor- 
bitant demands of the avaricious and calculating 
proprietors. If a sufficient number are together, they 
may extend their ramble almost at pleasure ; but the 
probability of defeat, or the fear of personal injury, 
is the only certain security from an attack by the 



80 



CHINA. 



natives. The solitary adventurer is not always mo* 
lested, but it is always wise to decline the experi- 
ment, since the younger part of the community are 
allowed by their parents to pelt him with stones and 
mud, and children of a larger growth " are not 
backward to take from his pockets, or even from his 
person, whatever may tempt their avarice, or take their 
fancy. A short time since an imprudent stranger 
exposed himself to their cupidity, and wa? robbed 
of his watch. 

It should not be concealed, that the conduct of 
sailors, permitted to enjoy their liberty on these 
islands, has been highly offensive to the Chinese. 
Maddened by the fumes of a vile liquor distilled from 
rice, and mixed, it is said, with poisonous ingredients, 
the crews of some of the ships have even gone to the 
extreme of sacrilege, assailing their very temples, and 
abusing their gods. 

French island is a vast cemetry, where multitudes 
of natives and foreigners await the morning of the 
resurrection. Here are three groups of graves of 
foreigners, occupying different places, though but a 
short distance apart. The two most contiguous to 
the present anchorage are of recent date, and are 
principally those of Americans and English. The 
inscriptions on the tombs of the other group are in 
different languages, and refer you, with a few excep- 
tions, to the past century. The majority were cut 
off in the morning of life — a solemn admonition to 



CHINA. 



81 



thoughtless youth. It is singular, that those who 
fall from the ships, however expert they may be at 
swimming, and even accustomed to exercise that art 
in this very river, seldom rise to the surface, or are 
rescued from the grasp of death. Some attribute this 
to an under-current of resistless power ; but those who 
are in the habit of diving for pleasure experience no 
diflSculty in rising to the surface. Many a mound is 
pointed out w^here sleep th^ bodies of those who 
were healthy, gay, unapprehensive of their change, 
the very moment before it occurred. In the midst of 
cheerful conversation there w as an abrupt pause — a 
sudden plunge — an aw^ful eternity. 

Those foreigners who die at Canton are generally 
interred on this island; and it appears that Death 
has been peculiarly triumphant during the last year. 
One of our party, who had just returned from a 
trading voyage, read the epitaph of two of his ac- 
quaintance, to whom he bade adieu one year ago in 
perfect health. The first intimations of their death 
he received, with astonishment, within a short dis-= 
tance of their mouldering remains. 

Besides the number of strangers who have found 
their grave in this heathen land, many of the hills 
are repositories of deceased natives. The sepulchres 
of the rich and great are generally constructed of 
hewn stone, in a semi-circular or horse-shoe form., 
corresponding in appearance to the previous rank 
<ff cirjcumstances of the lowly tenant. Some o£ 

E 5 



82 



CHINA. 



them are quite ornamental to the hill on which they 
are placed. 

According to the superstitious custom of the 
Chinese, they have just been paying their annual visit 
to their departed relatives ; repairing the tombs ; de- 
corating the surrounding spot with coloured papers ; 
offering sacrifices to their manes ; and attending to 
numerous rites, which they conceive to be becoming 
in the living, and not only gratifying to the dead, but 
quite necessary to their comfort. The more wealthy 
erect, on these occasions, booths on the hills, assemble 
their kindred, prepare a sumptuous entertainment, 
provide candles, incense, gold and silver paper, suits 
of clothes, and other articles ; which, being converted 
by the operation of fire into smoke, pass, they ima- 
gine, into the world of spirits. Then they kneel, 
and pray to this effect : We, a multitude of children, 
grand-children, and other descendants, now— on such 
a day — have come hither to worship at our ancestors' 
tumuli. We pray, that, by the protection of our 
ancestors, we may become prosperous, and that their 
descendants may be constantly supported." At this 
season the bones are removed, if the body is supposed 
to occupy an inauspicious place. Even those who 
profess to believe the doctrine of spiritual annihila- 
tion, or metempsychosis, are among the most scru- 
pulous in their offerings to the dead. 

It appears to be a very prevailing opinion that 
the spirit, or one of the spirits — as they believe in a 



CHINA. 



83 



plurality — continues in the vicinity of the dispos- 
sessed body ; that the sympathy between them re- 
mains almost as perfect as before their separation ; 
and that the comfort of the living agent is materially 
affected by the regard shewn to it, or to its decaying 
companion, by earthly relatives. The idea of having 
none to sacrifice at their tombs, and supply them with 
such things as they are supposed to need in the 
invisible state, is abhorrent to a Chinaman. 

One great inducement for keeping up these cere- 
monies with so much apparent zest, is the scene of 
feasting and revelry which ensues. If the description 
applies with peculiar emphasis to any people in the 
world, whose God is their belly," it does to the 
Chinese. This is the exhaustless theme of their con- 
versation. Have you eaten? " is one of the most 
common and polite salutations among them ; and 
the reputation of a good liver appears to excite 
both the envy and respect of their less favoured 
countrymen. 

We visited a suo;ar establishment on the island 
of Whampoa. The simplicity and cheapness of the 
works were highly characteristic of Chinese taste and 
policy. The mill, which expresses the liquor from the 
cane, was composed of three vertical cylinders, made 
of a coarse granite, wnth wooden cogs. The coppers, 
as boilers are termed in other sugar-growing countries 
of less primitive predilections, were made of cast 
iron, which they have the art of reducing almost to 



84 



CHINA. 



the texture of common paper, and of welding, when 
cracked or broken, with entire facihty and firmness. 
These were arranged triangularly, and with little 
apparent regard to those principles of granulation 
which are elsewhere adopted. That nothing might 
reduce the quantum of manual labour, where hands 
and mouths are so numerous and wages so low, the 
mill was placed below the level of the boilers, and the 
liquor carried in tubs from the one to the other. As 
it attained its consistence in each of these vessels, 
instead of being passed through a strainer into the 
next, it was transferred by hand to another part of 
the building, whence, after the process of filtration, 
it was returned to its appropriate caldron. 

The Chinamen were very civil and obliging. They 
gathered round ; invited us to gratify our curiosity 
and palates; and, presuming on equal liberties, am used 
themselves in examining our persons and dress. 
Every article of apparel was scrutinized, and when 
the eye was not sufficiently discriminating, the aid of 
the fino;ers was called in. Here ao^ain we have had 
repeated opportunities of intercourse with the natives, 
and, had we known the language, might have turned 
it to the best account. 

March 20th. — Our attention has been frequently 
arrested by processions passing through the streets. 
Sometimes they are the retinue of men of distinction, 
whose approach is announced by a herald beating a 
gong in a pecuUar manner; and who move about with 



CHINA. 



85 



all the display of badges, servants, and equestrian 
attendants, of which their civil and literary rank will 
admit. The sumptuary laws of the empire forbid 
that parade of mere wealth which is common in other 
countries, although the liberty of purchasing nominal 
titles and immunities gives nearly as much import- 
ance to wealth as though such a statute was not in 
existence. One thing, however, detracts from that 
conscious security in his possessions which the man 
of property enjoys under the laws of Christian lands : 
there are offices above the nominal rank to which wealth 
can raise its possessor; and these offices are frequently 
filled by men who, with the love of money and con- 
tempt of justice so common in China, can generally 
manage to stock their own coffers at the expense 
of their unprotected neighbours. Occasions can be 
seized upon where they exist, or feigned where they 
have no existence, by the skilful management of 
which these officers of injustice can effect their most 
avaricious and nefarious purposes. 

But to return from this digression. — The proces- 
sions most worthy of remark are either designed for 
religious, hymeneal, or funeral occasions. Were it 
not for a few characteristic objects in one part of the 
train, it would be impossible for a stranger to deter- 
mine whether it was designed to honour the gods, 
feast the living, or gratify the dead. The appear- 
ance of the attendants, the style of the music, the 



86 



CHINA. 



ornaments, and the eatables, are generally the 
same. 

Some of their burials exhibit a great shew of 
mourning ; but as this is known to be the custom in 
China, and to be connected with other established 
usages— such as preserving the body of the deceased 
until the ordinary fountain of grief is staunched, and 
calling to their assistance such as are skilful of 
lamentation" — it fails to excite the sympathy due to 
genuine sorrow. The greatest ceremony is made at the 
funeral of a parent, when the nearest male relative 
walks immediately behind the body, and is obliged 
to be supported in the phrensy of his professed grief. 
The death of a wife is considered a matter of much 
less importance : the husband on that occasion 
walks in an erect posture, and with an air of com- 
parative indifference. 

The mourning habit is something of a light brown, 
with a napkin of the same colour tied round the head. 
Sackcloth is often worn. The mourner, if not too poor, 
keeps himself in deep retirement for a hundred days ; 
the beard and hair are allowed to grow, and other acts 
of cleanliness and comfort are dispensed with : all 
this being designed to shew the absorption of his 
grief, and, consequently, his estimate of the loss he 
has sustained. Among the Chinese, the death of a 
father or mother disqualifies a son for office for three 
years ; the Tartars mourn a hundred days. 



CHINA. 



87 



The bridal palanquin and paraphernalia designate 
the marriage procession. The former is exceedingly 
gaudy, and, I believe, employed only on this 
occasion ; the latter is said to be the only dowry of 
the females. It consists of furniture, apparel, wines, 
eatables, and, at times, boxes of money. Of course 
the profusion and splendour vary according to the 
capacity of the father's purse and heart. The palan- 
quin is generally attended by a few females, the 
^Miandmaids " of the enclosed; but so closely is it 
shut on every side, that it is impossible, by any con- 
trivance, to catch a glimpse of the contents. The same 
ignorance is the misery of the bridegroom, when he 
beholds the vehicle approaching, and reflects that it 
contains the unknown companion of his future life. 

The largest procession I have yet seen, passed 
to-day. Its object was religious, in commemoration 
of the birth-day of one of their gods — probably a 
deified hero. To describe it would be difficult,* to 
iaiagine it the product of a rational mind, for any 
rational purpose, still more so : but to beiieve it the 
effort of an immortal spirit to secure the favour of 
One wlio has the disposal of its eternal happiness, 
almost impossible. 

xAmong the objects which principally attracted our 
attention, were small temples fantastically decorated, 
and furnished with gilded images; pageants resem- 
bling open palanquins, and filled with roasted pigs, 
ornamented fruits, cakes, and flowers ; boys and girls 



88 



CHINA. 



gaudily arrayed, on horseback— the first, children of 
wealthy parents, who represent official attendants 
upon the gods ; the second, holding the sacred 
vessels of their altars, and acting as priestesses ; — 
groups of lads on foot, occupying different places in 
the procession, and each company wearing a distinct 
uniform ; bands of musicians, both aged and young, 
with gongs, drums, tamborines, cymbals, stringed 
and wind instruments; besides a large number of 
coolies, in almost every colour and style of dress, 
each furnished with a rehgious tablet, or ornament 
of some kind. The tout ensemble was not unlike the 
display, on a day of general militia muster, in some 
of the populous towns in America, when the different 
companies, arrayed in their peculiar uniform, down 
to the unmiUtary ragamuffins, as multiform in their 
dress as in their arms, join in one general parade, and 
lend all that is imposing — at least in variety — to the 
long-drawn and ludicrous spectacle. The resemblance 
is even more striking in the spirit than in the appear- 
ance of these two motley groups, convened for such 
diflferent objects. If the Chinese had been enraged 
at their deity, and intended this as a pubhc expression 
of their contempt, it would have been more in cha- 
racter. Such is the phrensy of the human mind,^ 
without the restraining and renewing powers of the 
Holy Spirit. 

March 25th. — Dr. Morrison sent for us this 
evening, to meet Leang Afa at his rooms. This man^ 



CHINA. 



89 



as is generally known, is among the first-fruits of the 
mission to China ; and if the promise respecting the 
Jews be applicable to the Chinese, and the multitude 
composing the lump " be individually as holy as 

the first-fruits/' we may expect a glorious harvest 
from this neglected part of the Saviour's promised 
vineyard. Since his conversion he has been greatly 
persecuted, and is daily counted worthy to suffer 
shame for His name." Active and undaunted in the 
service of his Master, he has been seized, imprisoned, ^ 
spoiled of his goods, and scourged. His daily business, 
notwithstanding the rage of his enemies and the 
reviUngs of his friends, is to preach and teach Jesus 
Christ "from house to house." He appears to 
possess the spirit of a martyr; and we have reason to 
hope is prepared, if necessary, to meet a martyr's 
death. The feelings he expressed, in welcoming us as 
missionaries to his benighted country, were awakened 
in our bosoms at the sight of one in whom appeared 
so distinctly the image of the Saviour. 

He read the tenth chapter of Luke in Chinese, 
and explained, w^ith much propriety, the passage re- 
specting the harvest and labourers. The interview 
was closed by a solemn and earnest petition, in his 
own language ; which, before rising from our knees, 
was translated for our edification by Dr. M., and 
offered to "the same Lord over all." We were 
told, that all his prayers are so different from the 



&0 



CHINA. 



set phraseology of the formalist, and so feehngly 
adapted to circumstances, that they carry with them 
the evidence of their origin and sincerity 

April 2d. — One of the most popular amusements 
in China, and one which forces itself upon our 
attention at this season, is the drama. On walking 
abroad, if the eyes are allowed their wonted liberty, 
we are sure to see it : at home, if the ears retain the 
same freedom, itself or its accompaniments will infal- 
libly be heard. 

Stages are annually erected in the most public 
and spacious openings of the streets, and frequently 
on the ground of wealthy citizens. When the 
exhibition is intended for the amusement of the 
pubhc, the expenses, it is said, are defrayed by the 
inhabitants of that district. The rich engage these 
actors for the entertainment of themselves and their 
families ; to do honour to their guests ; and sometimes 
simply to ensure success in their temporal affairs, as 
they strangely connect prosperity in business with 
these and many other equally silly performances. 
These exhibitions are frequently intended for the 
honour and gratification of their gods. The squares 

* Others have been successively associated with Leang Afa, 
and his last report mentions that " there are upwards of ten of us, 
who, with one heart and united minds, continue to serve the Lord, 
and practise the holy doctrines of the Gospel. Every Sabbath-day 
we assemble together, to praise the Saviour for the mighty grace 
of the redemption.'' 



CHINA. 



91 



belonging to some of the temples are the places most 
commonly selected, and the scenes are sometimes 
kept up for seven successive days and nights. 

The opinion they entertain of the objects of their 
adoration and trust may be gathered from the pieces 
introduced for their amusement. Many of them are 
of a tragic character, founded upon ancient chronicles, 
and designed to perpetuate the notable events of the 
empire. That these should be grateful to the deified 
heroes to whom the temples are dedicated, and who 
were the chief actors in the scenes described, is a natu- 
ral conclusion. But what ideas must they have of the 
moral character of these honoured beings, if they 
beheve that their attempts at comedy, buffoonery, and 
gross obscenity, are approved of and acceptable ? 

The inconsistencies and puerilities which are found 
in these productions are also very glaring. How the 
spectators can not only endure such childish tricks, 
but admire them, must be a source of wonder to those 
who regard the nation as advanced beyond the mere 
vaunt of superiority in taste and attainments. 

Their music is, in our estimation, totally deficient 
of instrumental harmony. They are fond of sounds, 
have a variety of instruments, and practise sufficiently 
to become proficients ; but either all our ideas on the 
subject are wrong, or there is very httle musical talent 
or taste in the nation. Their instruments are in 
general differently constructed from ours, and the 
musicians are not unfrequently lads, who appear in 



92 



CHINA. 



a great measure to consult their own childish whims 
in the manner and pauses of their performances. In 
the music which is generally heard at their proces- 
sions, one is strongly inclined to doubt whether any 
thing is aimed at beyond mere noise ; and their most 
popular tunes, when performed by practised men, 
have little in them that strikes pleasantly upon the 
ear of any but Chinamen. The gong is generally 
produced on every occasion which calls for music, and 
there are many ceremonies, both secular and reli- 
gious, in which it is considered the only appropriate 
instrument. Its loud vibratory sounds, according to 
the usual mode of beating it, though considered 
agreeable by some, appear to me to be on a par with 
the tones of a cracked bell, and scarcely so mellifluous. 

June 24th. — One of the annual festivals has been 
celebrated to-day; and the confusion of a holiday 
crowd, the noise of guns, crackers, gongs, and 
drums; and the display of streamers and ornaments 
of almost every gaudy colour, have fatigued the 
senses, and rendered the shades and silence of night 
peculiarly grateful. It is in commemoration of the 
death of a statesman of high respectability, who, 
faithful to the office entrusted to him, was so sensitive 
to the slanderous misrepresentations of his enemies, 
that he threw himself into a river, and was drowned. 
His name was Watune, and the event is asserted to 
have taken place about two thousand three hundred 
years ago. 



CHINA. 



93 



There is a custom connected with the observance 
of this anniversary which proves a source both of 
amusement and danger, and with which the populace 
are so captivated that personal safety and legislative 
prohibitions are alike disregarded. They have long 
narrow shallops, curiously constructed for the occa- 
sion, which they term dragon-boats — probably from 
their serpent-like appearance — and with which they 
pretend to explore the rivers and creeks for the un- 
discovered bodies of the ancients. These contain from 
sixty to a hundred men, ^furnished with paddles, 
which they time to the beat of the gong and drum, 
and with which they drive them forward with great 
velocity. We have heard of no accident to-day, 
although not unfrequently the scene is closed by a 
tragedy. It is the custom to try the comparative 
speed of the boats, and, inflamed with the spirit of 
rivalry and the fumes of samshoo, they sometimes come 
in contact, and convert their paddles into weapons 
of death. Two years ago, besides running down a 
number of boats and drowning men and women, one 
of them was upset, and eighteen perished. 

Various superstitious customs are observed on this 
day. The mechanics and shopkeepers suspend their 
labours, and too frequently indulge in feasting and 
licentiousness. 

August 9th, 1830.— After a visit of nearly three 
weeks at Macao, we are again bending our course 
towards the scene of our present labours. With the 



94 



CHINA. 



exception of a prison, it would probably be difficult to 
find a better preparation for the enjoyment of verdant 
scenery, invigorating breezes, bodily recreation, and 
female society, than a residence at Canton. 

We engaged an English saihng-boat manned by 
Lascars^ and, favoured with a fine breeze, in less than 
twenty-four hours reached our destination. The time 
has passed rapidly and agreeably, between the im- 
provement of opportunities for usefulness, and the en- 
joyment of those advantages which are conducive to 
health. Besides the usual morning service, ordinarily 
conducted by Dr. Morrison, an evening lecture was 
also held at his house. The attendance much exceeded 
expectation, though it was something of a novelty — 
probably the first Protestant preaching ever attended 
on the LordVday evening, in the empire of China. 
Though in itself of comparatively small importance, it 
opens a delightful vista into the future, and discloses 
to the eye of faith an extended scene of gathering, 
attentive, and praising multitudes, filling the thousand 
temples of Jehovah which shall soon stud this land, 
and scarcely capable of realizing the moral night which 
shrouds our present post of observation, and through 
which nothing but the lamp of prophecy sheds the 
faintest ray. 

That such a prospect should be considered a wild 
fancy by a large proportion of mankind, who look 

* Lascars are native sailors from Bengal, or other parts of India 
Proper. 



CHINA. 



95 



only at things as they appear, and overlook the 
determination and ability of Jehovah to make them 
appear otherwise, cannot be wonderful to those who 
know the influence of the senses upon the mind^ and 
who could have seen the spectacle of idolatry which 
we witnessed during our visit at Macao. 

As a remedy to the declension of trade and the 
destructive fires with which the nation has been 
recently visited, a famous geomancer recommended 
the erection of a new temple, to be dedicated to the 
god of wealth, the god of the north, and the god of 
fire." A subscription was opened for the purpose, and 
the individual contributions varied from one to one 
thousand dollars. A splendid Pagan procession 
passed through the streets for ten successive days. 
It w^as composed, each day, of distinct classes of 
persons, belonging to a particular trade or neighbour- 
hood. Each party defrayed their ow^n expenses, and 
seemed to aim at eclipsing the pomp of their prede- 
cessors. Being an object of engrossing interest and 
not very frequent occurrence, it enlisted among its 
attendants many persons from those classes of the 
community which, it is said, seldom honour the gods 
with their presence. As usual, there was a number 
of bands of music, some of w^hich were volunteer 
companies of respectabihty ; but never do I recollect 
to have heard such grating, deafening tones, from 
instruments designed for human gratification or 
human endurance. 



96 



CHINA. 



Among the great variety of objects intended to 
give effect to some of the processions, were young- 
girls, apparently standing in the air, at least with no 
other visible support than the decayed branch of a 
bush, held, by some, at arm's length from the body, 
and furnishing to others a perch for their diminutive 
feet. In the one case, the branch appeared too 
feeble to sustain the weight of the body, even if the 
muscles of the arm were capable of such an effort ; 
and, in the other, it afforded no surface on which to ba- 
lance the person, even if the vehicle beneath had been 
stationary. The probabiUty is that there was a com- 
munication of wire, or something sufficiently tenuous 
and strong, painted in imitation of decayed branches, 
inclosing the body and fastened to the platform 
which was carried beneath them. Their loose flowing 
robes were well calculated to favour the illusion. 

In one of the processions was a large, hideous figure, 
made of painted paper, and designed to materialize 
their fancy of what they term lung, or the dragon. 
This creature, or deity, or both — for their systems re- 
cognise no distinction — is supposed to exert'a mighty 
influence in the regions of the air. It is thought 
to answer, in some respects, to the Python of the 
Greeks — certainly the locality and prevalence of its 
dominions is strikingly analogous to the dragon, 
that old serpent" of the true faith* Its length of 
volume, which probably exceeded one hundred feet, 
was supported by a number of men beneath, and 



CHINA. 



97 



partly within it, who held it upon poles, and gave the 
huge monster, as it passed, the sinuous motion of its 
genus. The day closed, or rather the night was 
spent, in the performance of plays before the temple. 
A temporary stage was erected for the occasion, and 
the court richly illuminated with clusters of glass 
chandeliers. Such is the solemnity and reasonable- 
ness of pagan worship ! 

We are now returning, in a large native boat, 
by what is termed the Inside Passage. Vast meadows 
intersected by rivers and creeks, and bounded by 
irregular ranges of naked hills, extend in some places 
as far as the eye can reach. These are all covered 
with paddy. What a beneficent provision is there in 
these extensive and irrigated lands for the rice-eating 
millions of China ! 

A light breeze bears us along, while village after 
village rises to view, and recedes in the distance. 
There is very little in the general aspect of the coun- 
try, or in any of its isolated objects, to awaken regret 
at the impossibihty of landing. The site of the 
villages is generally low and level : some of them are 
flanked by hills, sacred to the gods and the dead, 
and all (at least through our present medium, a 
heated atmosphere and languid eyes) destitute of any 
attractions, and even without an air of comfort. The 
houses are generally small ; built of stone, mud, and 
brick ; and presenting a dull uniformity of appearance. 

Clumps of trees and patches of verdure give a rural 

F 



98 



CHINA. 



aspect to some spots; the margin of the river in 
some places is lined with fruit trees, principally the 
shadach; but the population appear so poor, and 
their habits so filthy, that they neutralize all the 
attractions of the inanimate beauties around them. 

We were obliged to stop at Heong-shan, the prin- 
cipal village between Canton and Macao, where our 
passes and baggage were examined. Before the 
custom-house officers arrived, the water population 
crowded round us, and endeavoured, by all the force 
of pantomimic argument, to obtain alms from us. 

Large pagodas surmounting the tops of some of the 
highest hills and others of minor altitude, but gene- 
rally upon the principal elevation in the vicinity, 
bring forcibly to mind the denounced idolatry of 
ancient days. How animating the prospect, that 

these high places shall be removed,'' and ^*the 
mountain of the Lord's house shall be established on 
the tops of these very mountains ! " 

August 27th.— Within the past week we have 
visited two of the dwellings of the hong merchants, 
situated in the village of Hainam. They are inte- 
resting as specimens of the style of living among the 
most wealthy classes of the nation. They consist, in 
general, of a group of buildings, of different dimen- 
sions and compartments, covering a large area, 
adorned with gardens and small lakes or ponds of 
water. Around the ponds, and in them, were artificial 
rocks, in striking imitation of nature ; while the beau- 



CHINA. 



99 



tiful water lily (Nelumbium) spread its broad leaves 
above and upon the surface of the waters. With 
the exception of a few detached retreats, these 
buildings, though they branch off in various direc- 
tions, are connected by small enclosed avenues. 
The private apartments, accessible only by these 
narrow passages, allow of retirement to the family, 
and secrecy for scenes of carousal, even when the 
more pubUc halls are open for the reception of 
strangers. One suite of apartments is fitted up for 
the women, another for guests. With one or two 
exceptions, the rooms are by no means spacious, but 
gaudily, and some of them richly, furnished. The 
chairs and tables are large and massive ; and almost 
every room has at least two couches, with a table 
between them, designed for a luxurious tete-a-tete. 

But the ornamental objects are the most attractive. 
Painted and intagliated walls, chandeliers, lamps, a 
variety of natural and artificial curiosities and ancient 
relics, are displayed to as much advantage as possible. 
Some of the specimens of coin and ware are very an- 
cient ; and the large vases, formerly used for idolatrous 
purposes, very costly. One of the rooms was fitted 
up and furnished as a domestic chapel. Incense was 
burnt before a painted figure, intended to represent 
the tutelar deity of the house. We have referred to 
the custom of putting up tablets in the houses at 
the demise of parents, and other near relatives : it is 
thought that one of the three spirits, which their 



100 



CHINA. 



books assign to each person, abides near this tablet^ 
and is refreshed and gratified by the offerings which 
are daily made to it. 

The proprietor of one of the houses invited us ta 
the ceremony of burying his mother, which is to take 
place during the approaching week. The body has 
been preserved above ground for a year, or more ; and 
now, for the first time since her death, the precise 
place and hour of interment have presented them- 
selves to the imaginations of the deceiving, and 
probably deluded, priests^. Our host mentioned that 
one of the principal hong merchants had a number of 
his deceased relatives unburied, some of whom had 
been kept thirty years waiting for the lingering 
auspicious hour. This is said to be contrary to the 
laws of the empire ; but superstition has no law,, 
especially when protected by the strong arm of 
pecuniary power. That many, who are guilty of this 
ofFience, have the same controul of the law as the one 
referred to, is evident from the fact that in January 
1830 there were reported to be ten thousand coffined 
bodies in Canton not interred f. 

August 31st, 1830. — Within the past week the 
most gaudy pageants and brilliant illuminations have 
cheered the darkness of the night. Large boats, 

* The ceremony was afterwards performed y in a splendid man- 
ner. Kindred, friends, and spectators, from all the surrounding 
country, met and offered sacrifices to the deceased. The expense 
incurred was not less than ten thousand dollars. — Can, Register, 

f Canton Register. 



CHINA. 



101 



adorned with variegated lamps, have passed the 
city in a long line, for a number of successive even- 
ings*. The lights were arranged in horizontal rows 
around the hulls of the vessels, at such distances as to 
combine something of the effect of a glowing sheet 
of flame with that of innumerable inlaid gems, each 
shedding a lustre far more vivid and sparkling than 
their rich ground-work. From these rows there were 
others branching above in different directions, and 
forming different figures. The music, accompanied — 
or rather silenced — by the crashing gong, was in 
striking contrast with the taste displayed in gratifying 
the sense of vision. But such strains, they pretend, 
are more grateful to their ears than the finest strains 
of European harmony. 

Last evening a ceremony was performed before 
the factories which combined all the whims of 
superstition with some of the sacrificial rites observed 
of old by Divine appointment. A large quantity of 
tinsel paper, covered with a thin leaf of gold or silver, 
was consumed amid rows of lamps and incense-sticks, 
to supply the wants of departed spirits. This paper 
is cut or formed in imitation of houses, garments, 
sedan-chairs, boats, horses, and whatever articles of 
necessity or luxury the deceased is imagined to 
require. It is supposed to pass by the process of 
fire into the world of spirits, and to be there, by some 

* These are often hymeneal processions. Whether they ever have 
jsN^ligious object I was unable to discover. 



102 



CHINA. 



unaccountable means, converted into money, and 
whatever else is required ^. The real wardrobe is 
often consumed for the same purpose. Under the 
influence of a kindred and equally extravagant super- 
stition, it is customary for suicides and criminals to 
array themselves in their best apparel in the imme- 
diate prospect of death, believing that the spirit 
appears in the invisible world with the same ad* 
vantages of dress that decked the body at the hour 
of separation. 

Besides these offerings, a table was spread with 
meat, fruit, and wine — no doubt originally intended 
for a feast upon a sacrifice, but now perverted to 
the gross purpose of feeding the spirits of the de- 
parted t« One of the most respectable servants, 
arrayed in his best suit, kneeled before the table, 
poured out a libation of wine, and bowed his head to 
the ground a number of times ; then, taking the 
offerings spread before him on the table, he threw a 
portion of the fruits to the waiting spectators, and 
passed the rest to the servants of the house. 

^ " The burning of paper (for religious purposes) appears to 
have been adopted immediately after the abolition of human sacri- 
fices, on the death of Che-hwang-te, who died about one hundred 
and fifty years before Christ, when he caused his domestics to be 
put to death and interred with him, to attend on him in a future 
state. At present, the consumption of paper, which is annually 
used on all religious occasions, is very considerable, and forms an 
extensive branch of trade in China." — Indo-Chinese Gleaner^ 
vol. ii. p. 36. 

f When laughed at for their folly, and having the evidence ^f 
more than one of the senses that the offerings remain, they will 
often pretend that the flavour, or at least those qualities of the food 
which nourish the spirit, is extracted. 



CHINA. 



103 



For several days service has been performed in 
a temporary building at the head of China-Street, by 
some priests of the Budh sect. The stage on which 
they stood was elevated above the heads of the people, 
and was hung around with large paintings.. Before 
these figures — no doubt intended to represent their 
male and female deities — the priests, arrayed in their 
pontificals, stood, and, holding a paper in their 
hands, mumbled their orisons, in a style that left no 
reason to wonder at the striking resemblance, no- 
ticed by the Roman Catholic missionaries, to the 
holy manners ^' of their church. This ceremony is a 
grand annual mass for the benefit of those souls that 
have no relatives to pray for their release from misery 
and transition into happiness. It corresponds, in 
many most striking particulars, to the *^ manners 
referred to, and probably had the same origin. 

September 21st. — For several days they have 
been preparing some of the principal streets for 
a festival in honour of the deity who presides over 
fire, and as a thank-offering for preserving the city 
from its desolations. He is represented with a 
frightful countenance, and a long, flaming beard. 
To-night the noise of instruments and voices 
announced the commencement of the ceremonies, and 
summoned multitudes of spectators to the scene* 

The principal street was arched over, from the top 
of the houses, with doth of such a texture as to pre- 



104 



CHINA. 



vent the rain, which was falHng at the time, from 
interrupting their proceedings. Beneath the arch- 
way were suspended glass chandeliers, variegated 
lamps, cloth festoons of the most gaudy colours, small 
illuminated boats furnished and peopled, with a great 
variety of other ornaments, all tastefully arranged, 
and glowing with a dazzling brilliance. At each end 
of the street a stage was erected, with carved or 
painted images in an alcove, and with lighted tapers 
and ornamented cakes standing before them. Mu- 
sicians were seated on these stages, who accompanied 
their noisy instruments with harsh vociferations. To 
amuse the crowd, or gratify the gods, or both, men 
were engaged in exhibiting feats of manual and 
pedestrian dexterity. 

September 22d.— The noise of instruments and 
voices continued during the greater part of the night. 
In extending my walk beyond the limits visited last 
evening, I found that a number of streets were 
arrayed in the same style as the one described. A 
splendid temple had been erected at the intersection 
of three of the streets, with a large stage, on which 
were displayed a profusion of ornamental and sacred 
vases, with pictures, an altar, and tapers. The sides 
of this temporary pavilion, above the heads of the 
crowd, were composed of several stories, filled with 
images representing land and water scenery, and 
depicting the martial feats of their heroes, and the 



CHINA. 105 

amusements of their gentry. Enclosed within a paling 
were large figures, intended probably as representa- 
tions of certain species of men and beasts, but which 
have no originals in nature. The frio;htful distortions 
of countenance by which the Chinese intend (no 
doubt) to express something extremely magnanimous 
or superhuman, and especially the flame-coloured 
beard, marked out the principal image to be the 
object of their present devotions. 

The street running parallel with China-Street, in 
many respects eclipsed the array of its rival. Through 
the whole length of it were suspended, from the 
archway above, a great diversity of beautiful cars, 
containing male and female figures, decked in robes 
of natural flowers. Had it not been for the heavy 
odour exhaled from these gay garments, it would 
scarcely have been suspected that they were not the 
product of dehcate and laborious fingers. Even some 
of the old residents had always mistaken them for 
artificial decorations. 

The performance on the stage was continued 
throughout the day, and swelled to an almost deaf- 
enino; clano:our towards evening. The crowd became 
SO dense in the street of flowers, that, after toiling 
with diflScult progress, and descrying in the per- 
spective nothing but well stowed heads, I halted for 
a short time, and returned. Before leaving this scene 
of confusion, I had a fair opportunity of judging of 

F 6 



106 CHINA. 

the merits of one of their popular ballad-singers, and 
I certainly saw no reason to change the opinion I 
had formed of the powers and taste of Chinese vo- 
calists. Of all grimaces and noises ever seen or 
heard, nothing but the wildest buffoonery could equal 
this. He stretched his mouth to the utmost tension 
of its elastic muscles ; raised his voice to its most 
unnatural and grating key; and, after a number of 
long-drawn shrieks and quavers, exerted it to a pitch 
as thrilling as though he felt determined to close 
either his own Hps or our ears in perpetual silence. 
It was necessary to hear the effort, and see the listen- 
ing concourse, to believe that such tortured faces 
and torturing sounds could ever be endured. Another, 
whom I unfortunately encountered yesterday, left 
such a stamp of his ludicrous appearance upon my 
imagination, as I fear will haunt me for some time to 
come. 

25th. — This morning, the fifth day from its com- 
mencement, the splendid scene closed. The revel 
was kept up all last night ; and he who could gaze 
upon the living mass which it assembled, especially 
after the labourer was released from his daily task, 
and not feel the deepest compassion for the ignorance 
and infatuation of the nation, must himself be as 
truly pitiable as those whom he cannot pity. 

An intelligent Chinaman mentioned, that a priest 
belonging to the temple of the god whose tutelage 



CHINA. 



107 



they thus gratefully acknowledged for the past and 
implored for the future, made it his business to go 
round every day and take notes of the manner in 
which the rites were conducted. At the close of the 
ceremonies these are all carefully written on one piece 
of paper, and passed into the invisible world, for the 
information of the god, '^altogether such an one as 
themselves." 



108 



CHINA. 



CHAPTER V. 

CHINA — CONTINUED. 



The dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty. 



To give an adequate idea of the various and com- 
plicated miseries existing in China, would be to fill 
a volume. Female infanticide, we have reason to 
believe, is very common. It is thought, by some of 
the best Chinese scholars, to be greatly increased, if 
not altogether produced, by their philosophical no- 
tions respecting the origin and continuance of all 
things. There are two powers of nature, according 
to their books, on the regular action of which the 
harmony of the universe, both physical and moral, 
depends. Excess or defect in either power, deranges 
the system of nature, and introduces disorder in the 
affairs of mankind^. One of them they consider to 
be of the mascuhne gender, the other of the feminine; 
and the difference between the two, as great as be- 

* They believe that originally there was but one eternal prin- 
ciple, which was merely the first link of a great material chain, 
neither distinct from the universe nor endued with any moral 
perfections. They represent this first cause, this first Inik of the 



CHINA. 



109 



tween the ''vis mobile'' and the *' vis inertias'' of 

the old philosophers. 

To what extent the inhuman practice of infanticide 
j prevails in China, we have no means of determining. 
' In the imperial city, after deducting more than one 

half for natural deaths, the number of exposed 

infants is, according to Barrow, about four thousand 

a year. 

Some of the scenes he witnessed while at Pekin 
were almost incredible. Before the carts go round 
in the morning to pick up the bodies of infants thrown 
into the streets — amounting to about four-and-twenty 
every night— dogs and swine are let loose upon them. 
The bodies of those found are carried to a common 
pit without the city walls, in which the living and 
the dead are thrown together. This, however, is a 
small proportion, compared with other places. 

In some provinces not one in three is suffered to 
live; and in others, as the writer has been informed 
by the Chinese from those places, the difference be- 
tween the male and the female population is as one 
to ten. We believe the last statement applies only 
to the poorest parts of the empire. 

chain, by a circle ; but as they feel it difficult to account, from 
what they see in nature, for all the absurdities which present 
themselves on the supposition of a simple homogeneous body 
acting on itself, they suppose, that, when the system of nature as- 
sumed its present form, the one eternal principle was divided, and 
became two powers; which is represented by a figure of a circle 
divided in two by a waving line across the centre. — See Indo- 
Chinese Gleajier, vol. iii. page 2. 



110 



CHINA. 



^^The most prevalent mode of effecting this crime 
is by suffocation ; which is done by means of a piece 
of paper, dipped in vinegar, laid over the face of the 
child, so as to prevent it from breathing either by 
means of its mouth or nostrils. It is said to be fre- 
quently done to the aged and afflicted, to cut the 
brittle thread of hfe 

Infanticide is almost exclusively limited to the 
female sex; and the condition of that class of the 
community, when spared, is an evidence, as well as 
a cause, of the real barbarity and misery of the 
nation. 

A writer on China, after quoting a large portion of 
one of their moral works, on the inferiority and treat- 
ment of females, makes the following remarks : 

The very dependent and degraded state of females 
in China may be partly seen from this extract. 
They are, moreover, not allowed the confidence of 
their husbands, nor to sit at table with them, nor to 
have a voice in domestic concerns, nor to visit the 
temples, where the prayers of the unfortunate are 
supposed to find access. Religion is denied them. 
Little attention seems to be paid to the peculiar cir* 
cumstances in which, as wives and mothers, they 
may be placed. ' Rise \ run ; work ; eat little ; spend 
little ; be silent ; keep out of sight ; obey ; bear ; and 
rather bleed, starve, and die, than dare to complain, 



* Indo-Chinese Gleaner, vol. iii. page 193. 



CHINA* 



111 



is the genuine language of the above extract. Though 
fortunately for them, humanity, common sense, and 
interest, in many cases, plead in their favour, and 
procure a relaxation of the rigour of ethical and legis- 
lative restrictions, yet, where such restrictions have 
the sanction both of public opinion and of supreme 
authority, how is it possible to prevent their hurtful 
operation on this tender half of human nature ? " 

Without education, crippled from infancy, closely 
immured, married without their consent — in some 
instances even sold by their parents — and often 
treated most unfeelingly by the relatives and the 
other wives of their husbands, we cannot wonder at 
the frequent suicides among them, nor at their 
attempts to poison those by w^hom all their happiness 
and hopes are spoiled. 

The poverty of the lower classes turns to their 
account, in the exemption it secures from the bar- 
barous custom of compressing the feet, and in the 
necessity it enjoins of performing laborious work, and 
thus escaping the imprisonment to which their supe- 
riors are doomed. 

But suffering by the hand of cruelty is not con- 
fined to the female sex in China. In the present con- 
stitution of society, there is scarcely any security 
for property or life in the empire. Some of the laws 
are unjust; others perverted to the most nefarious 
purposes. The innocent are often made to suffer for, 



* Indo-Chinese Gleaner. 



112 



CHINA. 



and with, the guilty ; and the mandarines have it in 
their power to dispose of those beneath them accord- 
ing to their pleasure. Hence the oppression and 
extortions under which the nation has long groaned. 
Contrary to all the laws of civilized lands, they 
consider each as guilty, who might possibly be 
involved in the crime committed, until he proves his 
innocence. This accounts for that most unreasonable 
and most cruel custom of examining by torture. The 
innocent are thus frequently confounded with the 
guilty; or, if capable of resisting the dreadful temp- 
tation of accusing themselves falsely, are often made 
to suffer beyond the demerit of the criminal 

* " On every occasion they torture by pulling or twisting round 
the ears (the torturer having previously rendered his fingers rough 
by a powder), and cause the sufferer to kneel a long while upon 
chains. They next employ what they call the beauty^ s bar — (the 
breast, small of the back, and legs bent up, are fastened to three 
cross bars, which causes the person to kneel in great pain) ; — the 
parrofs beam — (the prisoner is raised from the ground by strings 
round the fingers and thumbs, suspended from a supple transverse 
beam) ; — the refining furnace — (fire is applied to the body) ; — and 
other implements, expressed by other terms. If these do not force 
confession, they double the cruelties ; till the criminal faints, and is 
restored to life again, several times in a day. Prisoners unable to 
sustain these agonies are often compelled to sign a confession of 
crimes, of which, after death, many of them are proved guiltless. 
The cruelties exercised by the local magistrates cannot be described ; 
and the various police runners are equally ingenious in forming plans 
to enrich themselves. In criminal* cases (as murder and robbery), in 
debts, and affrays, they endeavour to involve all who appear to have 
tlie slightest connexion with the matter, that they may obtain bribes 
from them for the purchase of their liberty. These petty officers 
load their captives with fetters, until they cannot stir an inch, and 
release them only on receiving a large sum. Their sufferings are 
daily accumulated, until death is the consequence."— I?Mio-CAi«e«e 
Gkaner, vol, i. 



CHINA. 



113 



Their modes of punishment, when guilt is proved, 
and especially in criminal cases, are often shocking 
in the extreme. Stranglino; and beheading are so 
common that scarcely any notice is taken of them. 
''More than a thousand criminals suffer death 
annually in the province of Canton. A learned 
Chinese says that a hundred, on an average, are put 
to death by law in the province every month." 

'^In the close of 1816 there were, in the various 
prisons of the Chinese empire, ten thousand two 
hundred and seventy criminals convicted of capital 
offences, and awaiting the imperial order to carry into 
effect the sentence of death. Some men, from their 
sufferings in prison— which is generally so loathsome 
^nd horrible a place that it is called hell — cannot 
support themselves in the position required. At night 
they are chained to inclined boards, on which they 
sleep. Cleanliness is neglected ; and their dungeons 
become offensive and unhealthful in the highest 
degree. Money can procure some alleviation ; and the 
prisoners of long standing attack in the most ferocious 
manner those unhappy persons who have newly 
entered. They seize them by their arms and legs, toss 
them, beat them, and bite them, to extort money from 
them^." The most heinous offences are visited with 
inflictions of the most refined and exquisite cruelty. 
Crucifixion, cutting to pieces, and every species of 
slow and painful execution, is employed. 

♦ Gleaner. 



114 



CHINA. 



CHAPTER VI. 

CHINA— CONTINUED. 

From the last date to the time of his departure, the 
journal of the writer is principally filled with details 
of the religious services of his fellow-missionary and 
himself, among the residents at Canton and the sea- 
men at Whampoa. As Mr. Bridgman uniformly took 
part in all the public duties of the Sabbath, we were 
enabled to supply both places with very little inter- 
ruption ^. A transcript has been published by the 
American Seamen^s Society. 

It may not be out of place here to repeat, that his 
object was to ascertain the practicability of having a 
seamen's chaplain stationed at this important mart of 
commerce, and that the short experiment fully sanc- 
tioned the benevolent plan. During this limited 
period, many facts of no ordinary interest occurred, 



* Besides the study of the language, which necessarily occupies 
much of Mr. B/s time, he has about half a dozen promising Chi- 
nese lads under his instruction, who have been submitted by their 
parents to his entire controul, and dwell in the factory with him. 
One of them is the son of Leang Afa. Let those interested in the 
conversion of China pray that these youths may become Christians, 
and teachers of their countrymen. 



CHINA» 



lis 



which proclaimed the necessity of carrying on the 
work commenced, and the readiness of a merciful 
Saviour to bless the endeavour. 

It is affecting to consider what multitudes, who 
leave their homes in health and hope, find a grave 
upon these heathen shores. Numbers every season 
are buried from the shipping ; and some of the most 
promising in health, and prosperous in their calling, 
have been this year unexpectedly summoned to their 
last account. It was delightful to find many, of 
different nations, mingling in the worship of the 
" same Lord over all,'* and so favourably impressed 
with the value of spiritual blessings, as to request 
that their respective ships might be made the tem- 
porary chapel. 

The only thing necessary to make the station one 
of the most important in foreign lands, is a perma- 
nent and commodious place of worship, where all 
may have the opportunity of attending, and which 
may afford the chaplain every advantage in pursuing 
his labours. 

^ In addition to the claims of the maritime commu- 
nity, it may be mentioned that there is a small 
population in Canton, who, for more than half the 
year, have no religious services. Gain being their 
paramount object, and having little or nothing to 
remind them of their religious interests, it may readily 
be supposed that such will not prove the most favour- 
able representatives of the Christian world, and that 



116 CHINA. 

the heathen will be but ill prepared by their good 
works which they shall behold, to glorify God in the 
day of visitation," 

Besides the regular morning worship, a service 
was established in the evening of the Lord's-day, at 
which a large and attentive congregation were gene- 
rally present. 

But the subject of the greatest interest, connected 
with this scene of exertion, is the conversion of China 
unto Him fromwhom she has revolted. Here is an ob- 
ject, indeed, whose magnitude beggars description 
the salvation of a whole empire — the most important 
empire upon earth — itself more extensive than all 
Europe, and containing, at least, one-third of earth's 
entire population ! Look where we may, beneath the i 
the wide expanse of the heavens, we can find no 
distinct enterprize so laudable, so imperious, so 
inconceivable in its results, as the conversion of 
China. 

The real condition of her hundreds of millions is 
but little understood ^. With all her empty boast of 
perfection, and the vapid eulogiums of her ignorant 
panegyrists, there is probably no other space upon 
earth so filled with real wretchedness as China. Her 

mild patriarchal government,'* is a system of in- ■ 
justice and oppression. From the Dragon throne," 
to the lowest menial in authority, self-aggrandizement 



* The most authentic census, taken in 1812, gave a population 
of upwards of thjree hundred and sixty millipns, 



CHINA. 



117 



is the reigning passion ; extortion and cruelty the 
means of its gratification. Her plebeian happiness 
is the combined result of poverty, virtual slavery, and 
vice. Those who have had the best opportunities 
of judging, give the most painful description of the 
indigence and depravity of the populace. The mid- 
dling class, or those who enjoy a competence, are few 
in number ; and they too are often treated without 
justice or mercy, and, if possessed of power, are quite 
as unjust and merciless. Even the appearance of 
happiness which captivates the stranger must be 
mere shew ; for, consisting, as it does, in earthly 
possessions, there is very little in the laws, or their 
corrupt administration, to give it basis or perpetuity. 

It is true that their literature is extensive : but how 
far it is calculated to elevate their character or to 
meUorate their condition, may be determined by the 
fact that scarcely a subject of which they treat is 
understood, while the most important truths, the 
only ones which can improve the moral character of 
man, are totally unknown * . 

Thus the conversion of China, with all the bless- 
ings attendant upon Christianity, becomes an object 
of worldly philanthropy, as well as of Christian be- 
nevolence. None, whose heart is not as hard as 



* Their philosophy, history, poetry, are so mixed up with the 
marvellous and absurd, that, with the exception of the maxims of 
their sages, some of which are excellent, there is nothino^ worth 
exploring in the whole field of their science. 



118 



CHINA. 



adamant, can gaze upon this scene of distress without 
emotion. 

But how infinitely vast— how worthy of all sacri- 
fice, all hazard, all experiment — ^does the moral 
elevation of this nation appear, when viewed in its 
connexion with the Redeemer's glory! Here is a 
triumph and a trophy for His victorious grace ; a gem 
as pure and as bright as earth can offer, to deck His 
mediatorial crown ! With the eye of this gracious 
Being upon us, and His heart upon the salvation of 
those who have been promised Him as His inheri- 
tance, what can express our gratitude, evince our 
discipleship, or display our allegiance and love, if 
the conversion of China be not the object of our 
prayers, and plans, and utmost endeavours ? 

For the present accomplishment of this under- 
taking, very much may be done. 

''Faith, mighty faith, the promise sees: 
Relies on that alone ; 
Laughs at impossibilities, 
And says, It shall be done/' 

Missionaries should be sent forth to every accessible 
place in the empire, and to every mart of her com- 
merce in the surrounding seas. The coasts should 
be invaded, and the seaports entered ; as they have 
been, and still are, by the undaunted genius of com- 
merce. Every opening should be searched out, every 
tenable post occupied, every lawful engagement 
subordinated, every passport possessed. Others have 



CHINA. 



119 



entered, and gained their respective objects. Pagans, 
Jews, Mahommedans, Papists, nominal Protestants 
— all have penetrated, but those vy^ho were alone capa- 
ble of benefiting the nation, and alone commanded 
to hazard their lives in the attempt 

The Chinese are extremely inquisitive, patient in 
research, fond of literature, free from the shackles of 
caste, and comparatively but little wedded to their 
systems of religion. These qualities, added to the 
fact that the Bible and some scores of excellent works 
have been translated and written in their own cha- 
racter, afford the greatest encouragement to pray with 
expectation, and labour with confidence, for their 
spiritual welfare. 

But alas! if there were highways opened through 



* The interesting voyages of Mr. GutzIafF along the coast of 
China, made after the writer had left Canton, have brought to light 
a number of most important facts, and placed China in an aspect 
in which Christians never beheld her before. They have shewn that, 
contrary to received opinion, the natives are fond of intercourse 
with foreigners —that no barriers need prevent this intercourse — that 
the Chinese have a high opinion of our medical skill — and that they 
receive Christian books with the utmost avidity. These voyages, 
together with previous information, lead us to suppose that there are 
four direct ways of influencing China : occupying the ports of com- 
merce in the empire, accessible to all ; sending ships along the coasts, 
freighted with Christian publications ; establishing mission stations 
where the vessels touch, in the maritime cities and the adjacent 
islands ; and having the marts to which the Chinese trade, in the 
neighbouring kingdoms and islands, well supplied with missionaries 
and pious physicians. In the last-mentioned stations, experiment 
has proved that the missionary becomes known, both to those 
whom he meets abroad and to their friends at home ; his disinter- 
ested, unpolitical object is proved and approved ; and his way is 
thus prepared to " enter in and dwell among them.'' 



120 



CHINA. 



every part of the empire, there are none "shod with 
the preparation of the Gospel of peace to travel upon 
them. The few missionaries sent^by all Christendom 
to China, are by no means equal to the duties of 
their own stations. Those who have not been toiling for 
years at the language, are not qualified for such an 
undertaking; and the Christian world appears still to 
slumber over the claims and calls of these perishing 
millions. Even admitting all that has been imagined 
— that the empire is barred and sealed against 
foreigners — still there is preparatory work enough for 
hosts of labourers, and work which must be done, 
though the Emperor and every subject in his realm 
should unite their voices in imploring our aid. 

The language is to be acquired, before any thing 
can be attempted ; and they who can give the great- 
est number of years to its acquisition, are the best 
prepared to employ it to advantage : and they may 
employ it to advantage even now. As the Chinese are 
a reading and reflecting people, it appears exceed- 
ingly important that they should be made acquainted 
with many of those branches of general literature 
which are the most useful. Of the history of other 
nations, and the geography of other countries, most 
of the nation are grossly ignorant. China, according 
to their ideas, is the centre, and well nigh the sum, 
of the world ; the focus of all intellectual and moral 
light ; not only the glory of the earth, but the coun- 
terpart of heaven. It is scarcely necessary to say. 



CHINA. 



121 



that the tendency of such sentiments is fatal to the 
I introduction of every external influence ; and that, 
\ until correct information be communicated, this 
haughty contempt of foreign attainments and customs 
will probably continue, at least among the learned. 
If works on all important subjects were sent forth, in 
every possible form, through the empire, the good 
effected would, in all probability, be incalculable. 
Here, then, is a work which can scarcely be com- 
pleted before, according to the dullest faith, there 
must be a change favourable to the introduction and 
propagation of Christianity in these regions. 
I So that, on any supposition, missionaries ought to 
be on the ground ; qualifying themselves for labour, 
and preparing the means by which they are to labour ; 
availing themselves of all the facilities which exist, 
and watching every providential opening which may 
be presented. 



122 



CHAPTER VII. 

PASSAGE TO JAVA. 

Having received an invitation from Capt. Drum- 
mond, to accompany him, in the H. C. ship Castle 
Huntley, to Java, where he understood I was going, 
we left Canton at midnight of December 28th, and 
proceeded in a large chop boat ^' to the ship, lying 
below the second bar. The Castle Huntley, though 
rather inferior in dimensions to some of the vessels 
in the same service, exceeds thirteen hundred tons 
in burden, carries twenty-six guns, and has a crew of 
one hundred and forty men. Every ship of this kind 
affords scope for the most zealous chaplain ; and if, 
as in the present instance, favoured with the advice, 
the co-operation, and the prayers of the commander, 
the prospect of success is highly animating. We 
had Divine service every Sabbath morning, when the 
weather admitted, on deck, and every evening in the 
cuddy. A part of almost each day was spent on the 
gun-deck, among the crew, visiting the sick, instruct- 
ing the ignorant, and exhorting all to repent and 
beheve." 

Having never before been brought into such con- 



PASSAGE TO JAVA. 



123 



slant contact with a large number of sailors, I had an 
excellent opportunity of testing and correcting my 
previous opinions respecting the best mode of pro- 
fitable intercourse with them on board ship. 

A sailor, as all the world knows, is a strange being. 
Bluntness is one characteristic, and bluntness, mingled 
with an earnest seriousness, must be employed to 
meet it. No time need be spent in any conversation 
preliminary to the subject of personal religion. It 
generally leads to such remarks or complaints from 
them as tend to defeat the object, rather than to 
promote it. 

Disrespect, where there is no restraint upon them, 
and frequently a shocking oath, or a loud avowal of 
their contempt of your presence and purpose, are at 
first employed, by a few of the more hardy spirits, 
to shew to their shipmates their manly superiority to 
religious scruples, and probably to prevent you from 
intruding into their retirement, or disturbing their 
consciences. This, however, is seldom repeated, if 
the case be properly managed at the time. Let 
them see that you are dauntless ; that all such ob- 
stacles, instead of subduing, only animate you ; 
instead of irritating, only soften your spirit into the 
deeper compassion ; that you regard their salvation 
as of infinite importance, and could weep at the 
enormity of their crimes, and the imminence of their 
danger, and you will generally find these bravadoes 
, in future among the most deferential and docile, 

g2 



124 



PASSAGE TO JAVA. 



If the challenge or oath is as evidently intended for 
your ears as for their companions, rebuke them 
before all," shewing, at the same time, that you have 
no wish to retaliate, or simply to put them to shame, 
but to expose the exceeding guilt and madness of 
such unprovoked rebellion against God. 

If you can make a sailor feel that his usual wicked- 
ness and indifference to duty can proceed from no- 
thing but ignorance, as wilful as it is profound, and 
that you have no secular object in view in exhorting 
or instructing him, you have obtained a claim upon 
his ear, and a passport to his heart. When these 
first difficulties, which are the most appalling to 
those unaccustomed to exertion among seamen, are 
mastered, the peculiarities of each case must, as on 
shore, indicate its treatment. 

Probably no unvarying plan of systematic effort 
on board ship, can be adopted. This must depend 
upon the dispositions of the officers, the regulations 
of the vessel, and, in a measure, the inclinations of 
the men. Opportunities for private conversation may 
always be found, and tracts and small practical 
works may be distributed, under almost all cir- 
cumstances. 

For the greatest benefit to this class of men we 
must look to those who labour among them in port. 
As a sailor has no circumspection, no forecast, others 
should exercise these qualities for him. The crimps 
have long availed themselves of these characteristic 



PASSAGE TO JAVA. 



125 



defects, and the consequences are too well known to 
be detailed. The boarding systems at home should 
be broken up — of course by means of counteracting 
exertions. There must be such a desperate invasion 
upon the usurped province of every crimp, as to 
leave him no means of subsistence unless he abandon 
his inhuman traffic in the souls and bodies of his 
victims. 

The immense good which may, and must, result 
from the conversion of this class of men, is best 
appreciated by those who have resided in foreign 
lands. Sailors generally prove a most serious detri- 
ment to all missionary efforts ; and should they 
become subjects of religion themselves, instead of 
" scattering firebrands, arrows, and death," upon 
every heathen shore where they touch, they would 
help to sow the seed of eternal life," even where 
missionaries have never travelled. 

Among the crew was a young man from New- 
York, whom the captain pointed out as quite su- 
perior in intellect to his shipmates, but who, on 
account of the most glaring misconduct, had been 
publicly flogged. I had frequent opportunities of 
conversing with him, and found him in a frame of 
mind which appeared favourable to religious im- 
pressions. He was wilHng to accompany me in any 
capacity, but I did not feel myself at liberty to take 
him, neither should I have deemed the step prudent 
under any circumstances, with the uncertain pro- 



126 



PASSAGE TO JAVA. 



spect before me. The custom of sending boys of 
respectability to sea, or of allowing them to follow 
their own roving dispositions and make a trial of 
this mode of life, is common both in Great Britain 
and America. 

Having heard the opinions of many, of different 
nations, and in all the capacities of the merchant 
service, the writer feels the more anxious to echo in 
the ears of the young and uninitiated the voice of 
experience on this subject. Though this topic has 
been one of frequent conversation, he has met with 
none, accustomed to good society, who, if they were 
compelled to continue this life, did not deplore the 
necessity which bound them to it, and dissuade 
their children and others from entering upon it as a 
matter of choice. 

If the acquisition of wealth, or a simple livelihood, 
be the object, probably none of the ordinary pursuits 
of life could prove less advantageous. The wages, 
if not inadequate to current expenses, are most 
scantily proportioned to them ; and even with the 
prospect of a speedy advancement, which few enjoy, 
and still fewer realize, the result is the same. The 
highest station affords a bare subsistence to a man 
who has a family to support, and the liberty of a 
limited trade, which is granted to him, generally adds 
but very little to his income. To this must be added 
the necessity of being absent from his family more 
than three-fourths of his time, deprived of the com- 



PASSAGE TO JAVA. 



127 



forts and privileges of shore, and exposed to daily- 
trials, of which landsmen have no conception. 

The fact that so few captains of ships amass for- 
tunes, and the still more embarrassing truth, to which 
allusion has been made^ that scarcely any continue 
this line of life from choice, are sufficient to controul 
the judgments of all who are selecting their worldly 
occupations, and have the advantages of the wide 
continent of America before them. 

Sometimes a seaman's berth has been S:^!ected for 
a voyage or two, to improve the morals of the dissi- 
pated. Those who are lawless on land, are sent to 
sea for salutary discipline ; but here again, no plan 
could be more subversive of its end. The mixed 
society, composed of the lowest class of men, gathered 
ffom different nations, and trained to different habits ; 
the want of religion, so prevalent among seamen ; the 
unrestrained licentiousness of the mass ; the triumph- 
ant detail of disgraceful conduct on shore, embellished 
by their own wit, and set off by the most pithy vul- 
garisms and blasphemies they have ever heard, 
usually prove as fatal to every correct moral senti- 
ment, as do the tar and grease and dirt — the element 
of the forecastle — to all ideas of refinement and 
delicacy. 

It is pleasing to know that there are exceptions 
to the general rule. Wealth and piety have been 
acquired at sea, and the latter is occasionally found 



128 



PASSAGE TO JAVA. 



among sailors; but, alas! the want of each is too 
common to encourage the hazardous experiment. 

A few days after leaving China we made the coast 
of Cochin-China, and saw, as its most prominent 
object, something in appearance like a pagoda, 
towering on the summit of a high hill. The distance 
was too great to define the object, but we have since 
learned that it is a rock thus curiously formed. 

Cochin-China is a kingdom of considerable im- 
portance. Including Tonquin and part of Cambojia, 
which are now annexed to it, it covers a large extent 
of country, and contains a hardy, energetic popula- 
tion. The Chinese language is well understood by 
the inhabitants of Annam — the native appellation of 
this country ; — although they employ another charac- 
ter in common intercourse, which bears affinity to the 
ancient Chinese, or Seal character. The Uoman 
Catholics have long had a footing in this kingdom. 
They reckon about three thousand converts, the great 
majority being in Tonquin. Formerly they were high 
in favour at court, but upon the death of the king, 
whom the Bishop (if Adran brought over to France 
for education, their influence diminished, and recently 
they have suffered severe persecution. Those who 
have visited Cochin-China for trade, give no favour- 
able account of the honesty or liberality of the 
natives. They are represented as rather cruel and 
intolerant, disposed" to take advantage of strangers, 



PASSAGE TO JAVA, 



129 



and unfriendly to the admittance and residence of 
foreigners among them. How far the latter may be 
the policy of the Government, as in China, we can 
only conjecture ; but that many of those traits of 
character which render them peculiarly offensive to 
Protestant strangers, are produced, or at least 
strengthened, by the intolerant spirit of Cathohcism, 
there is strong reason to believe. The nation may be 
influenced and approached throughSiam or Cambojia, 
or it might be benefited by more direct means. The 
possibility of the latter can be ascertained only by 
the visit of a trading ship. 

We spent two days, in procuring water and fuel, 
on the coast of Sumatra. During this time the 
passengers and officers amused themselves on shore, 
in walking, shooting, picking shells, &c. With the 
exception of a few temporary huts, without inhabit- 
ants, there was not a human vestige to be seen. 
Traces of elephants and deer, with an abundance of 
snipe and quails, proclaimed the wildness of the 
region ; while swarms of most voracious and adhesive 
insects furnished a sufficient reason for the absence 
of man. It was rather remarkable, that though 
nothing which indicated the presence of human 
beings could be discovered, yet the last boat had 
scarcely put off from the shore before smoke beg^n 
to ascend, and fires to glow, in the very place we 
had left. The next morning we were visited by 

G 5 



130 



PASSAGE TO JAVA* 



two or three small canoes, manned by half-naked, 
puny natives, bringing a few fowls to sell or barter. 

A few hours after leaving Sumatra, the ship was 
again riding at anchor, abreast of Angier, As soon 
as she was descried, boats were sent from the neigh 
bouring islands, with poultry, yams, fruit, birds, 
monkeys, &c., all in great abundance, and at the 
most reduced prices. 

The most striking peculiarity of the natives, is 
the artificial shape and colour of their teeth. They 
conceive it a mark of beauty, some say of distinction 
from the brute creation, to pass a file horizontally 
over the centre of the front teeth, giving them the 
form of a crescent, and then to stain them with a 
vegetable preparation, which often renders them as 
black as jet. The appearance is rather disgusting to 
a stranger, and the disagreeable effect is not di- 
minished by the general custom, among both sexes, 
of cramming their mouths with betel, cere, and 
tobacco, the latter of which is allowed to protrude 
beyond the lips. This mixture, as might be sup- 
posed, produces an action of the salivary glands, and 
it is soon evident that they are regardless, of the 
delicacy of all who may be near them. 



131 



CHAPTER VIII. 

JAVA. 

Angier is the point of Java where ships in the 
favourable monsoons pass, and generally call for 
supplies of water and provisions. It is situated on a 
large plain, adorned with extensive groves of cocoa- 
nut trees, and flanked by an amphitheatre of the most 
diversified and picturesque hills. The luxuriance of 
the verdure mantling every part of the plain, and 
decking the sloping sides and the summits of the 
highlands with a charming variety of lofty forests 
and spreading fields, produces the most favourable 
impression of the fertility and beauty for which the 
island is famed ^. A small fort, a hungalow or two, 
and a native village, stand in close vicinity near the 
shore. As there is no hotel in the place, I went im- 
mediately to the residence of one of the Dutch 
gentlemen to whom I had letters, and who received 
me with much kindness. 

Supposing that I was anxious to proceed to 
Batavia without delay, and being unable to provide 

* I saw it twice — once during the rainy season, afterwards in fine 
weather — and it scarcely appeared like the same place. 



132 



JAVA. 



a carriage immediately, arrangements were made for 
my being transported on the shoulders of the natives 
for the first twenty miles. The idea of being carried 
such a distance, in a confined chair, over bad roads, 
and through almost incessant showers, would not 
have been agreeable, even had I known the native 
language, been familiar with the way, and acquainted 
with the persons on whose hospitality I was obliged 
to trespass for my night's lodging. As my kind 
host had made every preparation, under the evident 
impression that I could not delay, and there appeared 
no alternative to a speedy departure without 
violating all the rules of politeness, I was on the 
point of taking my seat in the vehicle, which, from 
its structure, must have required a recumbent 
position, when the crack of a whip and the ratthng 
of wheels announced the approach of a more comfort- 
able conveyance. It proved to be a Government 
coach, which was hired by travellers, and which 
would be ready the next day to convey me to Batavia. 
I felt thankful for this seasonable relief. Many such 
incidents I could record, which, scattered through 
the course of my life, connect the hours of earliest 
remembrance with the present moment, and which I 
hope never to forget. 

January 20, Batavia. — As the arrangements were 
not made so soon as at first expected, I remained 
at Angier until yesterday morning. About seven a.m. 
we started, with the intention of proceeding forty 



JAVA. 



133 



miles, being half the distance, and leaving the rest of 
the journey for the following day. We started, as is 
customary in Java, at full gallop; changed horses 
every six miles ; and, notwithstanding such a state of 
the roads as fixed us in the mud two or three times, 
accomplished the day's journey by about two p.m. 

The face of the country was considerably varied 
with hill and dale, wildness and cultivation. All the 
low and level tracts of land were devoted to the cul- 
ture of rice, and some of these fields extended as far 
as the eye could reach. In almost every part of the 
way the natives of both sexes were laboriously en- 
gaged, tilling the land with buffaloes, and transplant- 
ing the young grain from its original bed. Such had 
been the abundance of rain since the wet season 
commenced, that all the low grounds were sub- 
merged, and the labourer was obliged to wade, often 
to an inconvenient depth, in fulfilling his task. 

We passed a number of villages, situated on the 
elevated ridges of land, and, as far as could be dis- 
covered (for they are generally concealed in clusters 
of trees), consisting of a group of miserable huts, 
scarcely suflicient to shelter their occupants from the 
rain, protect them from beasts of prey, or contain 
their necessary supply of provisions. At intervals 
along the road, sheds were erected for market- 
places, where the natives assemble to traffic. In one 
of them about two or three thousand were collected. 



134 



^ JAVA. 



What a congregation for the Christian Teacher ! 
Indeed every thing indicated a dense population, and 
seemed to invite the missionary to come and be the 
instrument of raising them from their mental and 
spiritual degradation . 

The house at which I stopped stands some distance 
from the main road, on an estate of more than sixty 
square miles, and in the vicinity of furious beasts and 
elegant birds. Tigers of the most dangerous descrip- 
tion infest the country, and even carry away the 
natives, while the woods are enlivened by flocks of 
majestic and beautiful peacocks. The manager of the 
estate received and entertained nie with much 
hospitality. The principal object of curiosity which I 
saw in accompanying him over part of the estate, was 
a large petrified tree, imbedded in a few feet of soil. 

About seven this morning we left the estate, and 
continued our journey. The country now began to 
assume an aspect of more civiHzation, which increased 
as we approached Batavia, and, except the deficiency 
of comfortable dwellings, reminded me forcibly of 
familiar objects at home. 

At the entrance to Batavia was a group of houses 
extending some distance along the road, and occupied 
by Chinamen. They were all surrounded with water; 
manyj of them flooded so as to be uninhabitable ; 
while the people were obliged to move about in boats, 
or splash along at a depth which admitted of but a 



JAVA. 



135 



slow progress. This spot proved to be below the 
general level of the country, and we were happy, after 
riding some distance at a most tardy pace, to emerge 
from the flood and pursue our way on dry land. The 
horses were urged forward at their usual speed, 
through streets consisting of Chinese houses, with a 
canal of running water on one side, until we left the 
precincts of the old town for that part of the city 
occupied by Europeans. The canal still bordered 
the way, while handsome residences, with courts in 
front, lined the opposite side. One of these proved 
to be the hotel, at which the carriage stopped about 
three p. m. 

As the day was not sufficiently advanced to admit 
of the remainder being wasted, I procured a convey- 
ance, and called on Mr. Medhurst, the English 
missionary, by whom I was received with the cor- 
diality and kindness of a brother in Christ. To avoid 
the malaria and heat of the town, the residents have 
built their dwellings upon a large plain, which 
extends some distance into the interior, and is inter- 
sected by the finest roads. 

January 24. — Yesterday (Sabbath) I attended 
three services in the mission chapel — two in English 
and one in Malay. Mr. M. is in the habit of having 
another service, for those who speak the native lan- 
guage, in the town, and frequently in one of the 
prisons ; so that the day is filled up with active 
exertions. He is assisted by Mr. V/illiam Young, a 



136 



JAVA* 



young man who is capable of conducting the ser- 
vice in Malay, understands Chinese tolerably well, 
and whose abihties and zeal in his Master's service 
render him a valuable acquisition to the mission. 
There is another young person connected with the 
mission, a native Amboynese, who appears to have 
been truly converted to God within the last year. 

Java is well known, as one of the most important 
colonial possessions attached to any European crown. 
More than two centuries have passed away since the 
Dutch became masters of some of its best districts ; 
and during all this time it has been in the hands of 
nations professing Protestantism. Like the other 
possessions of the Dutch, it has received its share of 
chaplains ; but, compared with the active zeal dis- 
played in enlightening the natives of some of the 
other islands, scarcely any attempts appear to have 
been made for the conversion of Java. 

This island/^ writes one who resides there, and 
who has long had the best opportunities of obtaining 
the most correct information, '^contains a population 
of six millions, four of whom speak the Javanese 
language, one and a half the Sunda, and half a 
million the Malayan. Its three principal towns are 
Batavia, Samarang, and Soerabaya. Batavia contains, 
within a circuit of twenty miles, three hundred 
thousand souls, of whom thirty thousand are Chinese; 
Samarang has about two hundred thousand natives 
and ten thousand Chinese ; and Soerabaya about 



JAVA. 



137 



three hundred thousand natives and five thousand 
Chiwose. There are, besides, about ten thousand 
Chinese scattered about in various parts of the island. 
These three principal towns are frequently visited by- 
strangers, and no foreigners, who have not excited 
the displeasure of Government, have been refused 
permission to reside in them. 

The Dutch systematically avoid establishing 
missions among Mahommedans, and endeavour to 
thrust their missionaries away, into bye places, as 
much as possible. Hence on the whole island of 
Java, entirely under their own dominion, they have 
not a single missionary. Formerly two missionaries 
were stationed at Christian villages, but with the 
exclusive object of ministering to those who already 
professed Christianity. These are both dead ^. 

The two missionaries on the island are stationed 
at Batavia and Soerabaya. The first has been allowed 
to become a burgher, which entitles him to the right 
of residence, the permanent tenure of property, and 
the liberty of travelling through any part of the colony. 
He has never experienced the least hindrance from 
Government, in the prosecution of his work. The 

* " It may here be observed, that the missionaries formerly sent 
out by the Dutch Society were illiterate men, which, added to the 
general prejudice against missionary efforts, tended to bring their 
office into contempt. Since then, the character and qualifications 
of their missionaries have greatly improved, but the prejudice 
still continues strong against them, and it seems indigenous to a 
Dutchman's mind to consider a missionary as vastly inferior to a 
settled minister.*' 



138 



JAVA. 



other missionary has not been so much favoured : 
the authorities interfered in the midst of a most 
interesting work, and his Testaments and tracts, 
which the eager natives flocked in thousands to 
receive, were all seized. At Soerabaya some good 
people have formed themselves into an auxihary 
missioDary society, established a school for heathen 
children, and exerted themselves in preparing and 
distributing tracts among the natives. They have done 
much, and would effect more if a missionary resided 
among them. 

There is an opening for missionaries at Batavia, 
Samarang, and Soerabaya. Every facility would be 
afforded by their brethren in two of these settlements : 
assistance in the native languages, books, residence, 
and advice, would be most freely given. 

The New Testament, and other books, have been 
translated into the Javanese, which, with the nume- 
rous Christian works printed in the Malay and 
Chinese languages, afford the greatest advantages 
for effecting immediate good. 

The writer having accepted the kind invitation of 
Mr. and Mrs. Medhurst to take up his residence 
with them, employed his time principally in accom- 
panying the missionary in his daily labours among the 
heathen, and in studying the dialect of the Chinese 
language most current in this settlement. A journal 
of events, kept at the time, has already been pub- 
lished. A few extracts will give the reader an idea 



JAVA. 



of the nature of the field, and the necessity of aid in 
its cultivation. 

January 26th. — Spent part of this morning among 
the Chinese residences in the town. Mr. M. generally 
devotes a portion of every day to visiting the natives 
and Chinese, for the purpose of conversing and dis- 
tributing tracts. In every house where there appears 
to be a probability of engaging the occupants in 
conversation, he enters, sometimes by invitation, 
generally ^^sans ceremonie.'' 

The Chinese sense of politeness is always such as 
to secure him a reception sutScient for his purpose. 
To the dwellings of the Malays there is not the same 
liberty of access. The Chinese frequently listen with 
apparent interest, and receive the tracts readily. 

February 4th. — In our usual rounds to-day we 
visited a hospital, where the leprous, blind, and 
deranged, are kept. Of the former class were some of 
the most miserable objects I ever beheld. Unable to 
leave their couch, with limbs partially consumed, 
withered, and covered with a loathsome ulceration, 
they were peculiarly calculated to impress the mind 
with a sense of the more deplorable, and by human 
means equally incurable, malady of the heart, of 
which this dreadful infliction is an emblem, and was 
a punishment. '* Who maketh thee to differ from 
another ? " 

One of them mentioned to Mr. Medhurst that he 
Ij^lieved his disease was the punishment of sin in a 



140 



JAVA. 



former life, according to their notions of the metem- 
psychosis ; and, when referred to the demerit of 
guilt in the present existence, as a more plausible, 
and an adequate reason, pointed most significantly 
in reply to a youth of but twelve years of age, who 
was a much greater sufferer, and on this supposition 
a less guilty sinner than himself. Among the blind 
was a youth, who could not imagine why he 
should be thus severely visited, since he had once 
saved the life of a fellow-being, at the hazard of his 
own. Self-righteousness, and as its consequence a 
disposition to murmur against the afflictive dispensa- 
tions of Providence, are, alas ! too prevalent in every 
country. 

Mr. Medhurst frequently avails himself of the 
moral precepts of their sages, as an admitted rule of 
conduct ; and then, upon their confessions of guilt, 
declares the only way in which God can be just and 
the sinner justified. 

February 6th. — We have just returned from an 
interesting visit to one of the bazaars, where about 
two or three thousand natives and Chinese were 
collected. The latter compose the great majority of 
tradesmen in Batavia, being more ingenious, active, 
shrewd, and gain-seeking, than the natives. Wherever 
money is to be made, by dint or traffic, manufacture, 
gambling or gulling, Chinamen are sure to be found. 
Acquainted, from longexperience, with the best mode 
of gaining his object, Mr. M. went directly to a 



JAVA. 



141 



part of the market where the men resort, after their 
most important business is finished, to purchase as 
much tobacco as they require before the next market- 
day. The anxieties of trade have so far subsided 
before they reach this place, as to render it much less 
difficult to secure their attention to an object which 
yields no immediate palpable advantage. His success 
in gaining their ear, and in awakening a desire to ob- 
tain books, was truly animating. In a very short time 
his budget of tracts, many of them of a large size — as 
the Gospel of Matthew — had entirely disappeared. 

The surprising change evinced in the disposition of 
the natives wnthin the last year is remarkable, and 
very encouraging. Until thus recently he was 
generally obliged to return with the number of his 
books undiminished. He scarcely succeeded in dis- 
tributing a dozen copies in as many months, on 
account of the influence of their Mahommedan priests 
and rulers, and the dread they inspired. Since the 
commencement of this happy, and, as far as visible 
means are concerned, unaccountable change in the 
minds of the people, hundreds have been distributed 
without the least difficulty. 

Another fact, full of promise, connected with the re- 
ception of these books, is the eagerness of the natives 
to understand their contents, and the means they often 
employ to obtain this knowledge. It is said that 
1 those who are unacquainted with letters will go 
through their villages to have the books read, and 



142 



JAVA. 



that, rather than remain ignorant of their truths, 
they will carry them to the chief men, and even to 
the priests themselves. Mr. M. says that these very 
rulers and priests, who were formerly so distant and 
ill-disposed towards him and his poison, have conde- 
scended to come and solicit Christian books for their 
own perusal. Yet nothing beyond the simple disposi- 
tion to receive and read these books has thus far 
appeared : the valley remains in deathful silence, 
and the bones are very dry; but the prophet has 
entered ; Thus saith the Lord God begins to be 
heard, and we look and pray for the breafh of 
Jehovah to come and breathe upon the slain ^. 

14th. — Yesterday (Sabbath), besides the ordinary 
English and Malay services in the mission chapel, we 
visited a large prison, containing about three hundred j 
native convicts. The missionary, or one of the young i 
men w^ho assist him, holds service here every Sabbath. 
It was a subject of considerable anxiety to the pri- 
soners, chiefly Mahommedans, at the commencement 
of these religious exercises, to ascertain the precise 
object of the preacher. Some imagined that the re- 
demption to which he referred was dehverance from 
chains and imprisonment: others were filled with 
apprehension, and fancied, from his statements of the 
evil and demerit of sin, that they were forthwith to 
be sold as slaves, and transported to some distant 
country. 



* Ezekiel xxxvii. 1 — 10. 



JAVA. 



143 



They all (except a few) assembled beneath a cluster 
of large shady trees, and remained in a sitting posture 
until the service was closed. The countenances of 
many of them disclosed an interest in the subject 
which could not fail to animate the speaker. One 
of the prisoners, who died a short time since, gave 
pleasing evidence of the benefit of these instructions, 
and confided his departing spirit into the hands of 
the Saviour, of whom he had heard in this place of 
confinement. Thus the very prison may become the 
gate of heaven, and the fetters of the guilty the ap- 
pointed instrument to keep them back from destruc- 
tion, and compel them to come in.'' 

17th. — For nearly a week the Chinese have been 
enjoying their greatest holiday. It is with them 
the season of new year ; work is generally suspend- 
ed ; their best robes are displayed ; children are 
loaded wath costly ornaments, and carried in compli- 
mentary form from house to house; while the best 
wishes for temporal prosperity — a long purse and 
life — are interchanged. The tables groan beneath 
their luxurious burdens ; the gods are supplied with 
every variety of eatables, and their faces are tinged 
with the smoke of tapers and incense. Every one 
yields himself up to pleasure ; and gambling, the 
delight of the nation, groups its votaries " in the 
house and by the way- side." 

When we enter their dwellings, tea is generally 



144 



JAVA. 



handed round in small cups, and the pipe is seldom 
used until it has been offered to the visitor. 

Here, as at Canton, the most common figure be- 
fore which they offer their sacrifices is the represen- 
tative of an ancient deified hero, called in the Man- 
darin dialect Kwanfootze. He has been adopted by 
thQ reigning Tartar family as their patron deity. An 
imperial proclamation was issued, commanding the 
homage of the whole empire to this pretended god 
of war. In every painting he appears as an exceed- 
ingly gross, ill-favoured being, with an idiotical forma- 
tion of head, small lengthened eyes running up the 
forehead, ears almost on a line with the top of the 
head, a forehead not unlike the upper part of a cone, 
and cheeks and chin resembling its extended base. 
To this is added a long spare beard, which he is 
represented stroking in calm reflection with his right 
hand. 

Behind his chair stands a black figure, said to 
represent an adjutant, holding a huge weapon in 
one hand, with a countenance of deadly rage, his 
eyes bursting from their swollen sockets, and in a 
stooping posture, as if communicating the most ex- 
asperating intelligence to the unruffled warrior. 

The former, though the most common, is by no 
means the only image used for religious purposes. 
A celebrated Esculapius, of whose surgical and magi- 
cal powers the most fabulous legends are preserved 



JAVA. 



145 



and credited, often occupies the place appointed for 
the deity on the wall opposite the door of entrance, 
and receives the adoration of the household. He is 
painted in the act of conjuring an invisible being, 
with his face towards the heavens and a small wand 
in his outstretched hand, while a hideous figure, an- 
swering to their idea of the dragon — which they 
imao;ine to be the chief agent in the kino;dom of Pro- 
vidence — answers to the summons, and appears in the 
clouds. Other representations are often preferred ; 
not unfrequently the form of a female, and, by some, 
merely the Chinese character for spirit, happiness, 
long life, wealth, &c. Small images placed before 
these paintings are also common. 

21st. — In our rounds to-day w^e met a Chinaman 
from the province of Teo-chew, or Tay-chew, who 
related some of the horrid cruelties practised upon 
the female infants of the common people. He says 
the custom of infanticide is almost universal among 
this class of the community. If the parent supposes 
that the marriage portion received for the bride will 
be greater than the expense of bringing her up, she 
is allowed to live; but if he apprehends straitened 
circumstances before, or a failure at the time, she is 
always dispatched. The disproportion of the sexes 
is so great, that in a village of three thousand men 
not more than three or four hundred can procure 
wives. If you expostulate with them on their worse 
than brutal cruelty, they reply with the most unna- 

H 



146 



JAVA. 



tural apathy, Rice is dear, and no benefit will accrue 
to us from rearing these children. As soon as they 
are married they become the property of another ; and 
as they are not allowed to marry relations, or even 
those of the same family name, they join another 
clan, and only support them in their rivalry." 

March 22d. — We arose early, and rode about 
eighteen or twenty miles into the country, to a 
village inhabited by natives and Chinese, and con- 
taining a few European dwellings. We selected 
Tuesday because it is the principal market-day in the 
week. The Amboynese convert, to whom reference 
has been made, started yesterday afternoon, with 
about two hundred Malay tracts and as many 
Chinese, On our arrival we found him surrounded 
by the natives, and actively engaged in his interest- 
ing work. 

The scene was one of lively interest. Wherever 
the teacher took his station, a crowd resorted, and 
listened attentively to the doctrines of the Gospel. 
That the truth might be more widely proclaimed, 
every part of ihe bazaar was visited, and in the 
course of two hours not a tract remained in our 
possession. 

There was much of that melancholy interest on 
the road which is felt when passing through the 
deserted ruins of a once populous city. Extensive 
avenues of trees, courts overgrown with shrubbery, 
and gate-posts still standing, mark the situations 



JAVA. 



147 



where, in days of Eastern prosperity, large mansions 
appeared. Batavia presents many such rehcs of the 
past age. To the elder inhabitants it requires no 
stretch of memory, and to the young no strength of 
fancy, to conjure up the scenes of hfe and gaiety in 
which the past generation figured. Stately buildings 
again adorn the face of the country— the festive halls 
once more are lighted — the giddy throng assemble — 
peals of exhilarating music swell upon the ear, and for 
a moment entrance the soul — successive nights are 
spent in feasting, and every species of amusement — 
and the assembly breaks up, only to restore their 
flagging powers for another encounter^. 

But there are other visions, of an opposite cha- 
racter, belonging to the history of Batavia, and 
called up by these desolations. The place is an 
Aceldema, where residents and visitors, natives and 
strangers, men of every country, class, and clime, 
have found a common grave. 

It must have required more than an ordinary 
struggle to debar from the minds of the gradually 
thinning, yet still assembling; votaries of pleasure, the 
intruding question, Who of us shall meet again ? 
What a strange, unnatural connexion, between the 
powerful ravages of death, and the thoughtless revels 

^ A living witness informed me that he had been present when 
two hundred were invited, and the revel continued for as much of 
three successive days and nights as human nature could endure. 
He has known balls, with their luxurious accompaniments, kept 
up, at one house, for three nights. 

H 2 



148 



JAVA. 



of the dying! It is like decking the victims of the 
monster with the votive wreath, and leading them 
gaily forth to the dreaded altar ^. 

March 25th.— An hour was spent this morning in 
conversation with a number of Cochin-Chinese. It 
was conducted partly in French, a limited knowledge 
of which they had acquired from the Roman Catho- 
lic priests in their own country ; partly in Malay, 
picked up in trading ; and partly by means of the 
Chinese written character. They professed the Ro- 
man Catholic religion, and evinced a degree of 
caution and bigotry which had no doubt been in- 
spired by their calculating leaders. They spoke of 
" thousands upon thousands of Roman Catholics 
in their country, and priests from France, Portugal, 
Bengal, and America ; also of convents belonging to 
different orders of monks. It was quite evident, from 
their questions and remarks, that they had been 
apprised of the exertions of Protestants, and prepared 
for collision. 

A tract was presented to them containing nothing- 
obnoxious to Cathohcism, but their imagination filled 
it with the most pernicious doctrines ; and though 
they did not read a single page, they were perfectly 
aware, they said, of its soul-destroying contents. 

* If from what has been ascribed to an exhausting sun and 
pestilential malaria, were deducted the effects of the excitable and 
irregular living of the East, Batavia and other tropical regions 
would be stripped of many of those sepulchral associations with 
which they are now shrouded. 



JAVA. 



149 



Their principal objections to the religion of the Dutch 
and English were, the want of cehbacy among the 
priests, and of auricular confession among the people. 
They spoke of the instruction they had derived from 
catechisms— such as the frequent worship of la tres 
sainte Vierge*' — but upon being asked if they had 
read the Bible, replied in Chinese, It was forbidden, 
disapproved ; adding in French, It is contraband." 
One of them inquired of Mr. M. how many disciples 
he had. He replied, that he deemed something 
beyond a mere profession indispensable to true re- 
ligion, and consequently never included in such an 
estimate those who were not sincere. Ah," said 
the shrewd inquirer, ^' the fault is in your doctrines ; 
if they were true there would be no lack of genuine 
disciples. He was asked what he considered true 
doctrine. Oh," said he ironically, ^* your books are 
full of it." But you know nothing of the contents 
of our books, and how are you qualified to condemn 
them?" ^' I have no time," said he, '^io prattle any 
longer with you," and he waited only long enough 
to hear that the truth was of sufficient importance to 
demand his time, and that a good man ought to 
make it a matter of most diligent inquiry ^. 

* Since writing the above, ten Roman Catholic missionaries, 
including four natives and six Europeans, have arrived at Batavia, 
on their way to Cochin-China. They state that there are three hun- 
dred thousand Roman Catholics in Cochin-China and Tonquin. 
According to the authority upon which the number of Roman Catho- 
lics is given in China, there are in Tonquin and Cochin-China four 



130 



JAVA. 



This, then, is the eiFect of Romanism, falsely 
termed Christianity, and this the barrier it erects 
against the pure doctrines of the Cross. Jf the word 
of these men can be relied on, how widely prevalent 
must be its errors, and how anti-Christian its influence 
in Coehin-China ! 

March 29th.— Having made arrangements for 
a tour of about sixteen or eighteen miles in the 
country, we arose this morning, and pursued our 
journey for some distance by the light of the moon. 
The undisturbed serenity of the hour, the sombre shade 
of the forests, and the pale beauties of the open land- 
scape, the freshness of the dewy morning, and^ 
above all, the tranquillizing influence of the moon, 
combined to produce the most delightful effect upon 
the mind, sobered by a temporary suspension of 
thought, and still unruffled by the cares of the 
day. 

On account of the frequent rains, and the bad state 
of those roads which are not kept at the expense of 
Government, we were obliged to change our mode of 
conveyance after the first four miles, and to make 
the whole of the remaining journey on horseback. 
Such was the depth and tenacity of the mud in some 
places that the horses could scarcely proceed ; and 
the bridges, which were covered with a wicker-work 

Bishops, fifteen European missionaries, upwards of one hundred 
native missionaries, and more than four hundred thousand con- 
verts. More than three-fourths of this number are in Tonquin, 
now subject to Cochin-China. 



JAVA. 



151 



of bamboo, were so wet and smooth before the sun 
appeared, that on one of them my horse slipped, and 
fell in an instant. Mercifully I found myself stand- 
ing at his side, or my limbs would probably have been 
crushed. 

There was nothing remarkable in the face of the 
country. The land was generally level ; the smaller 
elevations being selected for the site of native villages, 
and the low grounds covered with rice. We passed 
near the establishment of the former Rajah of the 
island. The only insignia of royalty remaining, are 
three or four beautiful waringin trees, always planted 
in Java before the houses of native princes. 

One of the descendants of the royal family joined 
us on horseback, and continued with us for some 
distance. He conversed sensibly on the subject of 
religion, and, although professedly Mahommedan, did 
not pretend to palliate the evil consequences of some 
of tlie Prophet's doctrines, mor refuse to receive a 
Christian book. 

About nine o'clock we reached a small settlement 
of Portuguese, whose ancestors, by the might and 
power of the sword, were obliged to renounce Catho- 
licism and embrace the Protestant faith. Havingf left 
word that we would return in time to preach, we 
continued our journey about three miles farther, to 
the market-place. 

In this part of our way the country was adorned 
with the most extensive groves of cocoa-nut trees I 



152 



JAVA. 



^ver beheld. The oil of this nut is much employed by 
the natives, both in cookery, and in anointing their 
bodies. By the time we reached our destination, the 
rays of the sun were very oppressive ; but the sheds 
under which the natives were assembled afforded 
some relief, and enabled us to prosecute our labours. 
Mr. M. and the Amboynese convert, who accom- 
panied us, spent two or three hours in preaching to 
the natives and distributing books. The crowd was 
not as great as at the other places we had visited, 
although the tracts were disposed of with little 
difBculty. 

We noticed two or three young men, better habited, 
and apparently more intelligent, than the common 
class, whose conduct indicated opposition to our 
object. Having watched their suspicious movements, 
and found that they were not satisfied with the tracts 
they had procured, but were impudently helping 
themselves to others, Mr. M. took from them what 
they had received, and refused to let them have a 
single one. This determined measure had the desired 
effect ; they soon disappeared. 

We returned to the Portuguese settlement about 
mid-day, and, after resting an hour, and taking some 
refreshment, were invited to the house of God by the 
familiar tones of the church-going bell. About thirty 
convened in an old building, erected in 1674, in the 
ancient style of Dutch architecture. Mr. Medhurst 
addressed the assembly, endeavouring to impress 



JAVA* 



163 



upon them some of the lessons of Christianity, which 
it was very evident they knew merely in theory. 
They had been favoured with the labours of a mis- 
sionary, whose bones now repose before the door of 
the church. To me the occasion was unusually 
impressive, and, though I understood but little of the 
language, my reflections were, I hope, not without 
profit. It was strange to find a house dedicated to 
the service of the true God in this sequestered spot 
in a heathen land — strange that it should have stood 
a century and a half in such a place — and still more 
deplorable than strange that its light should have 
been so completely lost, during all this time, in the 
darkness that surrounds it. 

I was surprised and grieved to find that the 
missionary conceived himself under no obligations to 
preach to the unchristianized natives, and that their 
unhallowed feet were not allowed to tread the thresh-. 
hold of this sacred place. No wonder that its own 
children have dwindled to a handful, and that its 
light has become well nigh extinct. 

March 31st.- — This evening we attended service in 
the Dutch church, preparatory to the sacrament. 
This ordinance is administered twice a year in 
Batavia, one of these occasions being good Friday, 
which occurs to-morrow. The clerk w^as reading 
the Bible when we entered, and continued doing so 
until the dominie commenced. Singing, and reading 

H 6 



164 



JAVA. 



the Scriptures are always continued half an hour be- 
fore the service, during which time it is expected that 
all the congregation will assemble. 

The order of service was very different from that 
observed in the Dutch churches in America. The 
minister commenced by pronouncing a blessing upon 
the congregation, which was received standing ; after 
which a hymn was sung, the exordium remotum 
delivered, and prayer offered. Then the text was 
given out, and the first division of the subject 
exhausted ; this was followed by singing, a long ex- 
hortation to alms-giving, and two collections for the 
church and the poor. These were received in a black 
bag, with a small bell at the bottom. When the 
exhortation to charity was concluded, the deacons 
left their places, and the second division of the subi 
ject was resumed, and continued, amid the noise and 
confusion of their employment, and for about half an 
hour after they had finished. Another hymn was 
then sung; after which all who expected to commune 
on the approaching day were requested to rise, and 
answer a number of questions respecting their faith. 
With a very few exceptions the whole congregation 
rose. This was succeeded by prayer, reading the 
names of new members, a hymn, and the blessing. 
My companion, who understood the sermon, repeated 
its substance on our return home. The subject was 
the burial of the Saviour by Joseph of Arimathea and 



JAVA. 



155 



Nwodemus. The speaker was animated and eloquent, 
but his exhibition of doctrine and character was 
iamentably defective. 

The Dutch church in these islands was planted 
nearly at the time when our forefathers colonized 
New Amsterdam. That zeal for the Saviour's glory, 
and attachment to th^ doctrines of her standards, 
characterized the eastern branch of the mother church 
equally with 'the western, is proved by historic testi- 
mony. We have one of the least ambiguous evidences 
of this fact in the ardour and enterprize with which 
her ministers engaged in the duty of evangelizing 
the heathen around them. The Bible was translated, 
works of much utility and merit were written, 
preaching was commenced, schools opened — in fact, 
every thing which could be attempted for the heathen 
was done by these men. Missionary societies were 
then unknown- 

How long the church continued unimpeachable in 
-doctrines and morals, we have no means of ascer- 
taining. The history, as far as it goes, and tradition 
subsequently, depend for their faithfulness so much 
upon the sentiments of those by whom they were 
written or preserved, that unless we can determine 
the character of the recorder or narrator, we cannot 
decide upon the right interpretation of his facts. 

The deterioration of the churches at home — the 
neglecting to appoint chaplains when the Company 
was disorganized — the subordination of the ministry to 



166 



JAVA. 



the secular power the dissipated habits of Eastern 
society — added to the worldly spirit and unsound faith 
of many of the chaplains — are quite sufficient to 
account for the sad change which came over this 
once flourishing part of the Saviour's vineyard. 

April 5th. — To-day is the commencement of the 
cheng berig, in the Mandarin dialect tsing ming^ 
season, when the Chinese repair to the graves of the 
deceased, and sacrifice to their manes. Desirous of 
improving the opportunity, we visited the largest 
cemetery in the vicinity of Batavia, and spent part 
of the morning in conversation and distributing 
tracts. Many thousands were present, though in 
none could we discover that solemnity or sadness 
which is generally connected in our minds with the 
place of the dead, and which might be thought to 
result from communion with invisible spirits. 

The graves, with a few exceptions, were adorned 
with coloured paper. One of the sepulchres of the 
great was covered with mats, and converted into a 
scene of pompous ceremony and shameful carousal. 
This tomb was more magnificent than any thing of the 
kind I had seen in China. It occupied ground enough 
for a hundred ordinary graves, was composed of a 
high and spacious mound, with a platform of cement 
in front, surrounded by a wall and decorated with 
pilasters of the same material. Two hideous stone 

* This may result as much from the management of the local 
officers as from the disposition of the general Government. 



JAVA. 



167 



figures, more like lions than any other creatures of 
earthly shape, were seated on pedestals to guard the 
entrance. On the platform, covering an area of about 
fifty feet by twenty, was spread a table, with a great 
variety of viands, fruits, preserves, &c., denominated 
a sacrifice to the dead, but designed to gorge the 
living. Before the table two men were kneeling; one 
with his head to the ground, the other holding a 
small tablet in his hand, from which he read, for the 
information of the departed spirit, an address con- 
cerning the devotion of the relatives and their desire 
to be reciprocally honoured. The tablet was written 
in a corruption of the Mandarin dialect, which is 
generally considered to be the most dignified expres- 
sion of the Chinese character. This being performed, 
the men arose, the assembly began to talk and 
laugh, the music struck up, and the dead were 
soon forgotten. We did not remain to witness the 
revel which ensued^. 

Stages were erected before the temple, upon which 
children were acting for the amusement of the popu- 
lace. Mr. Medhurst was interrupted in publishing 
the Gospel to this multitude, by a deranged China- 

* The tombs of the wealthy generally face a pond of water, 
and extend to its edge. The Chinese have a strange superstition 
connected with what they term fung shui/^ which expression 
means wind and water, and appears to be applied to the science of 
determining the sites of buildings and graves. When the dead are 
displeased with the situation of their sepulchres, some temporal 
calamity — generally a want of success in making money — is thought 
to be the certain evidence and infliction. A small temple is erected 
on the ground, most frequently dedicated to the god of happiness, 
and believed to conciliate the spirit of the place. 



158 



JAVA. 



man, who has either conceived a strange disposition 
to ridicule the missionary, or been incited by others 
to oppose him. He appeared with a book in his hand, 
after the manner of Mr. M., and pretended to quote 
a passage and explain it to the people. His conver- 
sation to-day was very obscene ; generally he broaches 
some most absurd sentiment, which he gravely 
repeats in the reading dialect, as though borrowed 
from a sacred book, and then descants on its meaning 
in the colloquial, to the great amusement of his 
auditory. Many tracts were distributed, and many 
instructions delivered, before we returned. 

7th. — This morning we visited a temple dedicated 
to Twa-Sai-Yah, the son of a mandarin who pre- 
sided over the district of Teon-Twa'Tokien province. 
The image is represented vvith an extended sword in 
the right hand. The father was appointed to office 
under the present dynasty ; and it is remarkable that 
the alleo^ed circumstance for which the son was 
deified, so incredible in its nature and yet so widely 
credited, should be of such recent date. On the 
arrival of the mandarin at the place of his appoint- 
ment, he was inform.ed that a gigantic snail, or rather 
an incarnate elf under that form, held its abode in a 
lake or pond of the district, and annually devoured 
hundreds of men. The son of the officer, a heroic 
youth, on hearing this, seized a sword, plunged into 
the pond, and appeared no more. The water was 
drained, and the young man was found standing 
upon the monster, having transfixed his body, and. 



JAVA. 



159 



rather than lose his prey, held him in that position 
until they both had perished. 

The men who have erected the temple we visited, 
and who come from that district of China, say that 
the shell of this huge creature has been employed 
for an incense vase, in a temple erected to the honour 
of the hero, ever since the event, and that it mea- 
sures one yard in diameter. It is from a strange idea 
that men distinguished on earth are equally distin- 
guished in heaven, and capable of affording assistance 
to mortals, that they are induced to multiply their 
temples upon the demise of every extraordinary 
character. 

Mr. M. has witnessed some of the incantations 
which they practise in order to obtain the inspiration 
of such deified men. Upon the performance of some 
ridiculous ceremony, the subject of it becomes con- 
vulsed, exerts himself with violence, frequently cuts 
his bodv with a sword, and when necessarily com- 
posed, owing to the exhaustion induced by effort and 
pain, he is thought to be tranquillized by the influence 
of the deity, and prepared to answer such questions 
as are proposed. As the inquiries are generally 
about matters of deep interest, his replies are noted 
down with all possible dispatch, and his advice care- 
fully and confidently followed. The evidence of true 
inspiration, is the rapidity with which his wounds 
heal, and the success which attends his prescriptions. 

How far Satan may be allowed to assist in these 



160 



JAVA. 



delusions, none can determine ; but that there must 
either be something like infernal intervention, or most 
stupid credulity — perhaps both — appears very proba- 
ble to those who have any tolerable acquaintance 
with heathen lands. 

April 14th. — This afternoon we rode about six 
miles into the country, and attended a Chinese cere- 
mony which reminded us of the bloody rites of 
Moloch.'^ It occurs on the birth-day of one of the 
Taou gods, and is performed by running barefoot 
through a large heap of ignited charcoal. The pile, 
which was about ten or twelve feet square, and nearly 
two feet in height, threw out an intense heat. The 
crowd was large, and the crash of gongs almost 
deafening. On our arrival we found two priests 
standing near the fire earnestly reading a book, 
though the noise drowned their voices, and performing 
a variety of strange acts, apparently enjoined in its 
pages. One of them held a cow's horn in his 
hand, with which he occasionally added to the noise ; 
while the other, after burning paper and making his 
obeisance, advanced to the fire, sprinkled water upon 
the heap, struck it violently with a sword, threw in 
more of the paper, bowed his head, and frequently 
gazed upwards with an expression of most intense 
earnestness, his whole body being, as might be ex- 
pected, bathed in perspiration. After this they both 
approached the fire, went through a number of antics, 
and finally dashed through the coals. A passage 



JAVA. 



was kept clear from an adjacent temple to the spot, 
and as soon as the priests had set the example, a 
number of persons^ old and young, came running 
from the temple with idols in their hands, and carried 
them through the fire. Others followed the example, 
and among them an old man, who rather staggered 
than walked into the midst of the heap. This 
part of the ceremony lasted but a few minutes, and 
the crowd soon dispersed. 

It is thought to be a test of the moral character of 
those w^ho attempt it. If they have a *^ true heart," 
and faith in the god, it is alleged they are never 
injured. It is performed by some in fulfilment of a 
vow made in times of danger or necessity. One of 
the votaries last year fell down in the midst of the 
pile, and was severely burned. Our budget of Chinese 

I tracts was disposed of as speedily as they could be 
handed out ; indeed it w^as necessary to check their 
violence in snatching them away. 

26th. — Mr. Medhurst has a number of schools, 
both Malay and Chinese, in which Christian books 
are introduced, and over which himself and Mr. 
Young maintain a strict superintendence. The 
parents are willing that he should have the direction 
of the school, on condition that he pay a proportion 
of the teacher's w^ao;es. I have visited them many 
times, and have been favourably impressed by the 
course pursued in rendering intelligible to their 

: minds the truths of Christianity and the absurdity of 



Mi . . 



162 



JAVA. 



Paganism. It is certainly one of the most effectual 
means which could be adopted of establishing the 
one system upon the ruins of the other. 

In striking contrast to these, and indeed to all 
schools conducted on the ordinary principles of 
European teaching, are the attempts of the native 
school-masters to instruct their pupils. 

This morning we walked a short distance into the 
country, to distribute tracts in the adjacent campongs, 
and among the travellers v/ho are constantly passing 
to and from the town. The noise of school-boys 
attracted our attention ; and, upon coming to the shed 
in which they were assembled, we found fifteen of 
the native children conning the Arabic Koran in a 
loud sing-song tone. Not seeing the teacher, we 
inquired for him, and found that he was employed in 
cultivating his land, some distance from them, while 
they amused themselves in this unprofitable exercise. 
The teacher confessed that he did not understand 
what was contained in the book, and that he was 
persuaded of the unprofitableness of such instruc- 
tions as he could give ; but he said the importunity 
of the parents imposed a necessity upon him. 

To read the Koran in a certain tone of voice, 
without comprehending a word of its meaning, is the 
object and acme of education among the indolent 
Malays. The only advantage is, that they become 
acquainted with the Arabic character, which is em- 
ployed in writing their own language, and which 



JAVA. 



163 



assists them to understand Christian books in the 
vernacular tongue. They are generally wilHng to 
attend to any religious conversation, and seldom 
refuse a tract, especially when its contents are pre- 
viously made the subject of remark. 

May 6th (Friday). — On Wednesday morning, at 
six o'clock, we left this place in a Government vehicle, 
and reached Bitenzorg, the residence of the Governor, 
in about four hours. The distance is thirty- nine 
miles. The Governor, it is said, performs the journey 
in two hours and a half, or three hours, and men of 
less distinction and fewer advantages generally in 
four. Our conveyance was exceedingly shabby, and 
the horses puny and way-worn. Although apprehen- 
sive that the old vehicle mjght give way, nothing 
occurred to stop our progress but the escape of one of 
the poneys, which, by some uneiccountable means, 
cleared himself from the harness and ran away. 

The palace, as the residence of the Governor is 
called, is rather a splendid edifice, built in the form 
of a crescent, though wnth a glaring architectural 
blunder. It has one window more on one side than 
on the other, which makes the building appear as 
though it had a deficiency in the curve. It has a 
parkin front, stocked with deer; and an extensive 
garden in the rear, laid out and ornamented in a 
, handsome style. The ground is undulating, the 
walks are broad and well gravelled, the trees and 
ahrubbery rare and beautiful, and the scene is adorned 



164 



JAVA. 



with lakes, bridges, a small island, a jet-d*eau, and 
a cascade. It is kept up at an expense to Govern- 
ment of seven thousand rupees a month. 

Between Bitenzorg and the neighbouring moun- 
tains, which lift their lofty heads ten or eleven thou- 
sand feet above the sea, the face of the country is 
much more diversified and beautiful than the low 
unvarying level of Batavia. We were in hopes of 
having a clear view of the crater, the smoke of which 
is distinctly seen from Batavia, but an intervening 
peak completely hid it from our sight before we 
reached Bitenzorg. Among the objects of curiosity 
in this place is an old tablet, the characters of which, 
as far as I have been able to ascertain, are entirely 
distinct from any thing to be found in present use, 
or in antiquarian research. 

Our time was spent in visiting the Chinese and 
native villages, and distributing tracts. The camp 
of the Chinese — for so their settlements are denomi- 
nated — is extensive and populous. They listened 
attentively to the instructions of Mr. Medhurst, and 
received the books with pleasure. 

In our visits among the Javanese we called upon 
the ex-royal family, who still exercise the highest 
functions entrusted by Government to the natives. 
Their establishment is very commodious, and though 
without splendour, much superior to any of the 
buildings I have yet seen. The present Governor is 
fifty-seven years of age ; and his father, who in his 



JAVA. 



165 



old age has becoQie a Mahommedan priest, eighty- 
one. There are five generations now living, and the 
old man numbers no less than two hundred and fifty 
descendants. Our books were received at the palace 
with politeness, and a number of them distributed in 
the villages. 

The principal Chinaman in authority at Bitenzorg 
returned to Batavia with us. Though w^ithout any 
apparent regard for Christianity, he appears so well 
persuaded of the absurdity and evil consequences of 
many of the established superstitions, that he has 
been opposing them by all the weight of his au- 
thority, and with considerable success. A small 
temple, which they venerated for its mystic influ- 
ence, has been removed, and houses have been 
erected on its site. The custom of calling in those 
to prescribe for the sick, whom they suppose to have 
the power of being possessed by the devil at their 
pleasure, and to whose absurd vagaries they attach 
the highest virtue, has been abolished. The influ- 
ence of the priests has been attacked and diminished ; 
and other measures are contemplated, which will tend, 
though unintentionally on his part, to prepare the way 
for a purer and less cumbrous faith. Mr. M. spent 
great part of the time in teaching the nature and 
enforcing the reasonableness of the Christian religion 
upon the mind of our fellow-traveller. Wherever we 
go there is an extensive field of usefulness, all pre- 
pared to the labourer's hand. 



166 



JAVA. 



These facts, recorded at the time, shew what an 
extensive sphere there is for missionary exertion in 
Java. At the same time they give but a very partial 
view of the various scenes of labour and interest 
which might have been visited daily, had our number 
been at all in proportion to our opportunities of use- 
fulness. The towns, the roads, the native schools, 
and, above all, the passers, or bazaars (as they are 
termed in India), which are held in every part of the 
surrounding country, furnish scope for the zeal of a 
large number of missionaries. 

These labours, together with the regular services 
in English and Malay, the visitation of the Chinese, 
the superintendence of schools, the never-ending 
study of languages and preparation of books; besides 
all the various charitable objects in which the mis- 
sionary must be the chief agent, and his own domestic 
duties of every day's recurrence ; constitute the im- 
mense burden which is made to rest upon the 
ghoulders of one man. Soon may this neglected 
island receive from the Christian world that attention 
which is its due ! 

The three large settlements, Batavia, Samarang,| 
and Soerabaya, ought to be immediately occupied, 
and made the head-quarters of missionary operation. 
From these points *^ the light of life '' might radiate, 
until the rays met in every part of this dark domain. 

The writer must add, with pain, that, since thej; 



JAVA. 



167 



above was written, the prospect of unrestrained effort 
has assumed a less flattering aspect than when he 
resided at Batavia. Mr. Bruckner, who was absent 
at that time from the island for the purpose of 
printing some works in the Javanese language, and 
who returned soon afterwards, was arrested by the 
authorities, in the midst of a most interesting series 
of labours. The eager natives were thronging his 
house to receive the tracts he brought with him, 
when the Government officers interfered, took away 
the books, and placed a veto upon their future distri- 
bution. 

The following fact is extracted from the fifth 
number of the first volume of the Chinese Repository — 
a workdeserving the perusal of all who take an interest 
in the history, literature, religion, present condition, 
and prospects of China and the neighbouring king- 
doms and islands. ^^The whole population of a small 
village, wishing to become Christians, and to be in- 
structed in the truths of the Gospel, requested the 
Resident at Soerabaya to send them a teacher, with 
Bibles. This he refused, declaring that he would 
not allow them to become Christians, as they were 
quite happy enough without Christianity ; and 
further, that Christian tracts, in the Javanese lan- 
guage, have been confiscated, and the funds of the 
Dutch Bible Society occasionally applied to purposes 
merely literary 

It is the opinion of those who have recently visited 



168 



JAVA. 



Java, that the most serious embarrassments would 
be thrown in the way of extensive missionary opera- 
tions. They say that it now requires permission 
from the Government at home for a foreigner to 
become burgher, and that those who are not enfran- 
chised cannot travel in the interior. Besides this, 
the local officers have it in their power to prevent the 
circulation of books among the natives, and they 
appear determined to exercise that power. These 
facts certainly cannot have been rightly represented 
to the King of Holland, or we have reason to believe 
that the evils would soon be corrected. The bugbear 
of insurrection, by which those who oppose missions 
profess to be frightened themselves, ancl attempt to 
scare others, cannot alarm one who knows the 
tendency of Christian principles. We sincerely 
hope that the subject will be investigated by the 
authorities in the mother country, and that the 
present and eternal happiness of so many milhons 
of souls will not be allowed to yield to the cruel and 
unwise policy of a few local officers. If the same 
liberty which is enjoyed throughout every part of 
British India were allowed the missionaries in this 
and the neighbouring islands, rebellions would be no 
more frequent than in Hindostan, and the greatest 
advantage would soon be realized by all parties. 



169 



CHAPTER IX. 

PASSAGE FROM JAVA TO SINGAPORE. 

On Saturday evening, June 4th, I embarked in 
the English ship Bencoolen, Captain Roberts, for 
Singapore. The next morning, before day-break, we 
weighed anchor, and, availing ourselves of the land 
breeze, stood to sea. After sailing gently for a day 
or two, and passing a few unimportant islands, we en- 
tered the Straits of Banca, between the island of that 
name and Sumatra. The tin mines on Banca, in 
the possession of the Dutch, are said to yield a large 
quantity of good metal. 

The immense island of Sumatra, extending about 
one thousand miles in length, and varying from one 
to two hundred in breadth, lay before us hke a 
motionless sea. The maritime parts on both sides 
are low and marshy, though it is intersected longitu- 
dinally by chains of unequal mountains, some of 
them nearly as high as the loftiest summits of the 
Alps. We passed the mouths of several large rivers, 
the current from which appeared to reach the opposite 
side of the strait. 

Sumatra is divided into a number of distinct, 
I 



170 



SUMATRA. 



independent kingdoms ; the most important of which 
are known by the names of Menangkaboo Balla, and 
Ballumary or Kamparig. 

In former times the whole island was subject to 
the kingdom of Menangkaboo, and at the present 
day its sultan combines the influence of a sovereign 
prince with that of a Moslem pontiff. The Dutch, 
before their recent expulsion and massacre, had 
succeeded in conquering this strong-hold of the 
country, and establishing themselves, as they thought, 
in perpetual security. Had they retained their 
dearly bought possession, they could, in all probabiHty, 
have commanded the resources of the island. A 
carriage road connects this central spot with Padang, 
about a half-a-day's journey to the west ; and a large 
river opens a free communication with the east, by 
which its products are transported to Singapore. 
The inhabitants of this ancient kingdom were early 
converted to Islamism. Pangarooyoong, its capital, 
is a chief resort of pilgrims of that religion, and was 
formerly the great seat of literature in the island. 
The natives of Menangkaboo have outstripped all 
their neighbours in letters and the arts. They have 
borrowed the Arabic character^ and their whole 
literature consists in transcripts from the Koran, and 
in bold historic tales." They have long been famed 
for their delicate workmanship in gold, and for the 
manufacture of arms. 

In the country of Balla, which includes the 



SUMATRA. 



171 



northern division of the island, is the famous king- 
dom of Acheen, with which foreigners are well ac- 
quainted. It carries on a considerable trade with 
some parts of India ; its sultan being the principal 
merchant of the place. The inhabitants are more 
muscular, industrious, and sagacious, than the other 
natives of the island: they profess the faith of 
Mahommed, and are said to exemplify some of its 
sanguinary principles. They are under the iron sway 
of a hereditary despotism, and subject to law^s as 
rigorous as they are partial in their penal inflictions. 
The most severe punishments generally fall upon the 
lowest classes of society. 

In the interior of this general division of the 
island, is the beautiful country of the BattaSy part of 
which stretches over a spacious champaign between 
two ridges of mountains, and is adorned with an 
extensive lake. This region of the island, as also 
that of Acheen, is represented as exceedingly 
populous ; it is subdivided into numerous petty 
principalities, occupied by independent tribes. The 
natives, though spirited, have shewn themselves 
inoffensive in their conduct towards traders, and 
respectful and hospitable towards the Europeans 
who have occasionally visited them. They are 
described as fairer and smaller than the Malays ; fond 
of dress ; and more partial to horse-flesh than to any 
other species of animal food. Polygam.y is common 
among them. The women are employed as slaves, 

I 2 



172 



SUMATRA. 



while the men pass away the time in war, indolence^ 
gambling, and childish amusements. Such is their 
estimate of the difference between the sexes, that 
they visit the same offence with a much more severe 
punishment upon the men, than upon their more 
ignorant and less culpable wives. They shew their 
detestation of certain crimes by devouring the 
criminal ; prisoners of war often receive no better 
treatment. Like the generality of heathen tribes, 
they are exceedingly superstitious in matters of 
sorcery. They believe in two deities, of totally opposite 
character ; though the best informed writers affirm 
that they have no idea of a future state. The Dutch 
settlements of Tapanooly and Natal lie in this section 
of the island. Like the inhabitants of Acheen^ 
they entertain a superstitious regard for the sultan of 
Menansikaboo. 

In Ballumary, or Kampang, the third division 
mentioned, are the kingdom of Palembaug, and the 
country of the Lampoons. The former comprehends 
the south-eastern portion of Sumatra, and the latter 
extends to its southern extremity. Immense and 
impenetrable forests cover a large region of this 
southern division of the island : the inhabitants are 
generally poor, and their customs much the same 
as those of their neighbours. Palembaug, where the 
Dutch had a factory, is described as a large city, in- 
habitedby emigrants from China, Siam, and Java, as 
well as by the natives of the country. 



SUMATRA. 



173 



Besides these kingdoms there are many indepen- 
dent states, situated on almost every large river, and 
whose general features are much the same as those 
of the tribes already described. 

What an immense sphere does this island present 
for ?iiissionarv exertion ! The Dutch and Eno-lish 
have alternately held the forei2;n stations of the island, 
and the latter have sent a few missionaries to Ben- 
coolen and Padang ; but the great work of converting 
the millions of its inhabitants to Christ was neither set 
about nor prosecuted with sufficient energy. At 
present there is not a single missionary upon the 
island. The writer became acquainted with a 
pious gentleman, resident at Padang, who promised 
to furnish such a statement of the country and its 
inhabitants as would interest the Christian com- 
munity, and supply hints for their benevolent efforts. 
Since then the Dutch have been forcibly driven from 
their settlements, and many of them massacred by the 
enraged natives ; and w^iether the person referred to, 
and a companion of congenial sentiments, have 
escaped, is uncertain, as no intelligence has been re- 
ceived from them since the dreadful catastrophe. 

Some of the islands near the west coast of Sumatra 
are described as fertile and populous. Pulo Nyas 
is inhabited by an interesting race of men^ who are 
remarkably ingenious, and carry on an extensive 
traffic. The place seems to present an exceedingly 



174 



S UMATRA. 



favourable opening for missionary labours, and we 
know of no obstacles to their immediate commence- 
ment. 

Along the whole line of this western coast of 
Sumatra, and among the adjacent islands, the pious 
merchant has it in his power to exert the greatest 
influence. It is a favourite resort for trading vessels 
from England and America, and, according to the 
testimony of one who has been engaged in the traffic, 
the most dishonest and dishonourable means are often 
employed in defrauding the natives. Should houses 
of commerce, superintended by pious agents, be esta- 
blished in the most populous and advantageous 
positions ; and should ships, in their visits to other 
places of trade, carry with them those who are capable 
of instructing the natives ; immense good would 
infallibly accrue to the heathen. 

On our way to Singapore we passed a number of 
islands, which are occupied by pirates, who infest 
the adjacent seas, and watch for such vessels as they 
suppose may be safely and successfully attacked. 
Three masts generally afford a security ; though some 
ships have been assailed notwithstanding, and those 
of the crew who remained to tell the tale, with 
difficulty effected their escape. We saw a number of 
proas in the Straits of Banca, but either our appear- 
ance was too formidable to invite an encounter, or 
they too peaceful to attack us. 



SINGAPORE. 



175 



The Sabbath was a day of deHghtful serenity, and 
the enjoyment of its hallowed privileges added not a 
little to its tranquillizing features. The willingness 
with which the tracts were received and read, by both 
passengers and crew, afforded a fresh proof of the 
importance of being always furnished with a supply 
of these powerful and unobtrusive monitors. 

On Monday morning we weighed anchor early, 
having been becalmed the previous night, and stood 
through the straits lying between Pulo Battam and 
the Great Dryon. It is doubtful whether any ships 
had passed that way since 1803. It proved to be a 
safe, and in many respects an advantageous passage. 
The land on both sides is uniform, and the scenery 
perfectly wild, and rather interesting. I do not 
recollect ever to have sailed so great a distance 
among such a number of scattered islands. 

On Tuesday morning, June 14th, the ship came 
to anchor in Singapore Roads. The harbour of Singa- 
pore is very extensive. It is surrounded by numerous 
islands, stretching far in the distance, and is capable 
of affording safe anchorage to any number of shipping. 

There is nothing very striking in the aspect of 
the place. The site of the business part of the town 
is either a depresssd hill or a redeemed jungle. 
Most of the private residences are situated upon a 
plain of considerable extent ; while a few mansions, 
crowning the adjacent hills, relieve the dull uniformity 
which a level situation gives to so many Eastern 



176 



SINGAPORE. 



towns. Being a free port for all but Americans, 
many European ships and native craft are generally 
lying in the harbour. 

On my arrival I found the missionaries v^ell, and 
Mr. Tomlin on the eve of embarking for Siam. Mr. 
T. had been waiting a long time for an opportunity,, 
and this very vessel had been detained, contrary to all 
expectation, beyond the appointed period of saihng. 
The very day of my arrival she obtained her port 
clearance, but, through the compliance of the cap- 
tain, the time of sailing was deferred until Friday 
morning. By this concurrence of circumstances an 
opportunity was providentially afforded for making 
all those arrangements which seemed most important, 
before leaving Singapore. 

It was cheering to find from the missionaries, that 
the same disposition to receive Christian books which 
was manifested by the Malays at Batavia, prevailed 
also at this and some of the neighbouring stations. 
The change is of very recent date, and the hearts 
and hands of the missionaries are strengthened in 
their work. 

On Friday, June 17th, we embarked in an Arab 
vessel, with a European commander, for Siam. Mr. 
Tomlin ; Mr. Daniell, a pious ofRcer in the Indian 
army ; and myself, were obHged to occupy the same 
half of the poop-cabin. The opposite side contained 
two of the supercargo's wives, who were never seen 
by any but their husband and servants. The crew 



PASSAGE TO SIAM. 



177 



consisted of forty-six men, chiefly Arabs, and conse- 
quently Mahommedans. There was something in 
their expressive features and muscular forms which 
completely distinguished them from the Bengalese 
and Malays. The prominent nose, penetrating eye, 
curling locks, and heavy beard, characterized the 
greater number. Their conduct, too, was strikingly 
opposed to any thing I had ever witnessed in any 
other vessel. Five times a day they bent the knee 
and bowed the head in social worship. The principal 
services are performed at day-dawn and sun-set. 

At these seasons the muezzin ascended the quar- 
ter-deck — the only thing on board-ship which would 
answer the purpose of a minaret — and, stopping his 
ears with his fingers, to exclude all earthly sounds, 
proclaimed in the most serious manner the appointed 
hour for prayer. He was soon joined by the majority, 
who, with their faces toward the west, the direction 
of the Moslem's kiblah from our present position, 
spent about half an hour in their fruitless task. 
They heed not the presence of man ; never miss the 
hour of prayer; and express an earnestness which 
testifies that they have not the most remote suspicion 
of their dreadful delusion. The mate generally leads 
the devotions, standing a short distance in advance 
of the rest. The countenances of some of them 
were deathfully solemn ; and their voices, especially 
when mingled in general response, of a deep sepul* 
chral tone. 

1 5 



178 



PASSAGE TO SIAM. 



In their intercourse with each other they evince a 
cheerfulness, and apparent affection, which is seldom 
found among European sailors. There is, it is true, 
much less distinction between the officers and com- 
mon sailors, and much more liberty taken by the 
latter, than in the generality of other vessels ; but 
every object of subordination is gained ; and though 
inclined to sport, the command is obeyed with prompt 
activity. These deluded men entertain a belief that 
within two centuries all Christians are to be con- 
verted to their faith. I could almost wish for the 
gift of tongues, to be the instrument of teaching 
them their error, and pointing them to that Sa- 
viour, whose spreading kingdom will blot out the 
very name of their deceiver from under heaven, per- 
haps long before that period has elapsed. Some, to 
whom Arabic Bibles were offered, received them with 
pleasure, and devoted much time to their examina- 
tion. They soon discovered the inconsistency between 
the practice of nominal Christians, and the precepts 
of the Saviour. 

Our room was consecrated to the worship of the 
true God, and the sacrifice of morning and evening 
praise was there offered up. The usual services of the 
Sabbath were also performed. The Captain, the only 
European on board, attended on all these occasions. 

We had the coast of the Malayan peninsula and the 
neighbouring islands in view, for the first half of the 
passage. The former is a range of abrupt, irregular 



SIAMt 



179 



hills, flanked in many places by peaks of the same 
character, though of different altitudes, and pre- 
senting an appearance which might be easily mis- 
taken by the distant observer for towers, pagodas, 
minarets, fortifications, and castles. We were fre- 
quently struck with the sun-set splendour of the 
heavens, and led to admire the glories of that Being of 
whom his most lovely works are but a faint reflection. 

On Thursday, June 30th, 1831, we arrived at the 
bar off the mouth of the Meinam, and cast anchor. 
The coast of Siam is so low, that at the usual distance 
of the horizon at sea it can be distinguished only as 
a roughness, without any undulation. English vessels 
are obliged, by the treaty with that Government, to 
wait here for a pilot. It is said to be impossible for 
large ships to cross the bar except at the highest 
tides ; the water seldom exceeding eighteen feet, and 
rising at times not above twelve or fourteen. Under- 
standing that the pilot would not be on board for a 
week, we left the ship on Saturday in the jolly-boat 
for Bankok. About five o'clock we reached Paknam, 
a small village some three or four miles from the 
shore of the sea. 

The Siamese have attempted to render the river 
impassable to foreign invaders. A barrier of large 
piles, many yards in width, runs from one bank to the 
other, with the exception of a narrow passage for 
vessels ; each shore is lined with a battery ; and a 
large fortification or castle has been erected in the 



180 



SIAM. 



stream, to command the approach, as well as to ob- 
struct the passage. The appearance of this castle, 
with a small spiral pagoda or monument at a short 
distance, is imposing and beautiful. 

It was our intention to pass Paknam without stop- 
ping; but the King's officers hailed us, and the 
Governor detained the Captain about an hour. The 
old gentleman employed the time in asking such 
questions, and offering such remarks, as were dictated 
by his curiosity, and his still more insatiable cu- 
pidity. During this interview, the passengers, 
who had remained in the boat, afforded considerable 
amusement to the natives, by partaking of a cold 
repast. We prevailed upon them to taste the biscuit 
and beer on which we were feasting, and received, 
in return, shell-fish, and segars made of a dried leaf 
rolled up, and enclosing a little cut tobacco. Many 
of the men were muscular, and symmetrical in form, 
probably selected purposely for the service in which 
they are engaged. 

The Siamese shave the head, all but the crown, 
where the hair is allowed to grow sufficiently long to 
give it the uprightness and apparent rigidity of 
bristles. Their dress is scanty ; the limbs and upper 
part of the body being exposed. There is no dif- 
* ference in this respect, from the king to his meanest 
subject. The women are almost as slightly clothed 
as the men. It is an universal custom with both 
sexes to chew the betel and cere, and, among the men. 



SI AM. 



181 



from early youth to the most decrepit age, there is 
scarcely an exception to the habit of smoking. Be- 
tween the two the jaws are seldom allowed to rest. 

From Paknam to Bankok the distance is about 
twenty-five or thirty miles. We left the former place 
about six in the evening, and arrived at half past 
twelve. We were entertained on the vy^ay by many 
objects of interest and novelty. 

The Meinam is a noble river ; its average width is 
about half a mile; and it is sufficiently deep at 
Bankok to admit the largest ships which can pass 
the bar. Its banks are low, and covered with jungle. 
The lights on the shore w^re numerous in many 
places ; and we were convinced, from their reflection 
in the river, that the houses were built upon piles or 
rafts. In one or two places our ears w^ere saluted 
by music, which came over the water, at this late 
and silent hour, with a soothing melody. The in- 
struments were chiefly on the percussion principle, 
and the soft and delicate harmony of their tones 
formed a perfect contrast to the harsh strains with 
which we had been tortured in China. But the 
objects of our greatest admiration were the swarms of 
fire-flies covering the shore, and passing from one side 
of the river to the other. Though not to be com- 
pared, in size or brilliancy, to the famed lantern-fly 
(fulgora laternaria) of South America, described by 
Madame Merian, still 

" Innumerous tribes 



182 



SIAM. 



From the wood-cover swarmed, and darkness made 
Their beauties visible : one while they streamed 
A bright blue radiance upon flowers that closed 
Their gorgeous colours from the eye of day; 
Now, motionless and dark, eluded search. 
Self-shrouded ; and anon, starring the sky. 
Rose like a shower of fire 

Thousands of these insects would light together 
on one tree, and give it a most beautiful and vivid 
illumination. There appeared to be a complete uni- 
formity in the motions of them all — so that the glare 
would break forth and close in as though they 
inhaled a common breath, or emitted their light by 
some other simultaneous impulse. It required no 
stretch of fancy to imagine ourselves in those fairy 
regions of which we had heard in childhood, espe- 
cially as we were inclined to indulge in transient 
slumbers, and would frequently awake from forget- 
fulness to the novel and dreamy pictures around us. 

In one place, where the natives were on the look- 
out, and where, as we have since ascertained, there 
is a fort, we were hailed, and asked a number of 
questions. Having obtained permission to proceed, 
we did not stop, but told them our destination, and 
heeded not nor understood their cries. 

Before we left the ship, we visited one of the 
Chinese junks, which was waiting on the bar for a 
favourable wind, and were much disappointed to learn 
that Mr. GutzlafF had sailed a few days before for 



Southey's Madoc. 



S I A M . 



183 



China. As there were Christian books in the junks, 
and some of the sailors were well acquainted with 
liis history, there was little reason to doubt the 
correctness of the statement. We were thus prepared 
to hear that he had actually embarked on the expedi- 
tion in which his heart has been absorbed, and for 
which Divine Providence had now opened a way. 

Soon after midnight we reached the residence of 
Signor Carlos de Silveira, the Portuguese consul, 
w-ho received us with much kindness and hospitality. 
This gentleman entertained the missionaries during 
the early part of their first visit ; assigned them a 
house on his own lands ; and when they were opposed 
by the Roman Catholics, and, through them, bv the 
native authorities, continued their warm friend, 
notwithstanding the menace of expulsion from the 
Siamese dominions, and loss of all his property. 
The same disinterested kindness has ever been 
evinced by R. Hunter, Esq., the only Enghsh mer- 
chant in the place, who in the time of their greatest 
trial received the missionaries into his house, and 
exerted all his influence on their behalf — determined 
to risk every thing rather than have them driven 
from the kingdom. Mr. H. remains in this country, 
and will doubtless ever render to the missionaries all 
the assistance which his well-known character, and 
the rank the king has conferred upon him, enable 
him to afford. 



184 



SIAM. 



CHAPTER X. 

SIAM CONTIN UED. 

The writer spent six months at Siam on his first 
visit ; which time was devoted to the study of the 
Chinese and Siamese languages, and to the ordinary 
duties of the mission. A few general remarks, 
founded upon the information obtained at that time, 
and corrected and enlarged by a succeeding visit, 
will give the reader some idea of the place and its 
inhabitants. 

The country, as far as regards scenery and im- 
provements, is extremely uninteresting. There is not 
a hill — scarcely a mound — to interrupt the dead level 
which spreads in a wide compass round the capital. 
The soil is exceedingly productive; it surpasses, in 
the rich variety and abundance of its fruits, nearly 
all the adjacent regions, and is probably not surpassed 
by any country of the East^. 

Bankok, the capital, is situated upon the Meinam. 
The palaces of the two kings, and of some of the 

* Besides its more valuable productions, Siam abounds in the 
most delicious fruits of the East, plantains, oranges, shadachs, 
durians, the bread fruit, and, above all, the mangosteen and 
mango, in the greatest perfection. 



6IAM. 185 

i 

princes, are enclosed within a wall, while the suburbs 
extend about two or three miles above and below 
the royal residences, on each side of the river. As 
the houses are generally situated upon the water, or 
near its edge, the river may be considered as the 
highway, the mart and the pleasure-grounds of the 
city. Here the mass of the population reside, carry 
on their business, and take their recreation. The 
most projecting row of houses is built upon bamboo 
rafts, and moored or secured to fixtures upon shore. 
Of course their locality can be changed without diffi- 
culty, and, sometimes, without the concurrence of the 
inmates. It is no uncommon thing to see them come 
floating down the stream, with all their contents, set 
adrift, perhaps, by ships in their vicinity, and carrying 
away, in their turn, those against which they may be 
driven by the impulse first received, or the eddies 
into which they are whirled. 

Those houses which are situated nearer the shore, 
or partly on the bank of the river, are founded upon 
piles raised above the rise of the tides. These are 
generally inhabited, although some of the best are only 
used as cool retreats for the kings and men of wealth, 
who live on shore. In many places, the dwellings 
retire some distance from the margin of the river, and 
either form a narrow extended street, as on the city 
side of the water ; or branch off towards the interior ; 
or are scattered over the face of the country, amid 
gardens, jungle, and rice-fields. There are many 



186 



SIAM. 



interesting and varying views up the winding course 
of the Meinam. The finest specimens of architecture 
are the temples, which generally occupy the best 
sites, and cover, with the array of monastic buildings 
attached to them, a large area of ground. These, and 
the palaces, glittering with gold and other ornaments, 
together with a few mansions belonging to the princes, 
derive no trifling part of their apparent magnificence 
from the contiguity and contrast of the mean huts 
composing the remainder of the city. 

In passing along the river, many rural beauties 
are fancied to exist on shore. A variety of palms, the 
bread fruit, the silk cotton (Jbombax cliba), the 
tamarind, with a profusion of other less majestic 
though equally valuable trees — all flourishing in this 
congenial soil, and blooming in the richest luxuriance 
— appear like groves, and arbours, and parks ; while 
the houses and temples, peeping through self-formed 
avenues, are mistaken for dwellings of taste and 
comfort. But the place is disenchanted of its beauty 
the moment the shore is gained. The temples ex- 
cepted, where some little pains and ingenuity are 
displayed, every thing is improvable, but nothing 
improved. Neither order, convenience, ornament, nor 
comfort, are consulted in the situation and structure 
of their houses. 

In and near the city, a few streets have been laid 
out, while in many parts, instead of accommodating 
the houses to any line of roads, the roads or paths 



SIAM. 



187 



are interrupted, and bent in almost every direction, 
by the encroachment of the buildings. The want of 
roads and good foot-paths, and of ahiiost all con- 
veniences for out-door exercise, is one of the most 
serious objections to a residence in Siam. The 
natives, like their god Budh, appear to luxuriate in 
indolence, and consequently, when obliged to move, 
are contented with the most passive modes of loco- 
motion. The rivers, creeks, and canals, are so nume- 
rous, that they can go in boats to almost every place 
where business or pleasure calls them. 

There are many points of painful interest connected 
with the state of society in Siam. Its population, 
consisting of four or five millions of souls, is made 
up of Siamese, natives of Laos, Cambojians, Peguins, 
MalaySjBurmese, descendants of Portuguese, Cochin- 
Chinese, and Chinamen. 

With the exception of the Chinese, who pay a 
triennial capitation sum, this whole population is 
divided into two classes — those who are bound to per- 
petual slavery, and those who are submitted to a 
service tax of a portion of their time. The former 
are either conquered enemies, from the country of 
Laos and the Malayan Peninsula, or stolen subjects 
from the frontiers of Burmah and Pegu. Twenty 
thousand Laos captives were transferred at one time 
from their native land, and distributed among the 
Siamese princes and men of authority. These poor 
creatures are more oppressed than all their fellow- 



188 



SIAM. 



slaves. On entering the palaces of the kings, and 
mansions of the great, it is distressing to witness 
men and women of every age toiling in fetters, as 
though the clank of their chains was music in the 
ears of their cruel lords. The reason assigned for 
such inhumanity, is the fear of their escape ; but one 
is strongly tempted to believe, from this and other 
cruelties equally revolting, that they estimate their 
own importance as much by the misery as the mul- 
tiplicity of their slaves. Many of this class, having 
no employment at home, are sent out to labour 
for the benefit of their masters ; some of whom own 
several thousands, and derive considerable emolument 
from their services. 

It is not uncommon to expose these unfortunate 
beings to sale, oftien at the most reduced prices, and 
to have them purchased even by the officers of Go- 
vernment, for a traffic as vile as the deepest depravity 
could suggest. Numbers of females are daily sent 
forth in the most disgraceful capacity, and if they do 
not return at night with the sum fixed by their mas- 
ters, they are often cruelly beaten. If they refuse 
this odious life— and some of them have spurned its 
debasement^ — the master is quite at liberty as to the 
mode and measure of the punishment. To the num- 
ber of slaves already mentioned, must be added the 
children whom the alleged necessities of their parents 
obUge them to sell, and who are bought for any 
purpose which their covetous or licentious masters 
may choose» 



SIAM. 



189 



The other class referred to, who are submitted to a 
service tax of part of their time, includes all the 
remaining inhabitants of the country, with the ex- 
ception of the Chinese. Even the natives of Siam, 
and the nominal Christians, the descendants of Por- 
tuguese, are among the number. These, some of the 
more wealthy excepted, are reduced to a state of 
partial slavery, being obliged to employ much of their 
time in the King's service, and receiving for their 
labour the smallest compensation. If they are not 
so fortunate as to lay by a small store during their 
liberty for this hour of need, or if their wives and 
children are unsuccessful in a petty trade, by which 
many of them subsist, they and their families are 
reduced to the greatest straits. 

By the laws of the land, or the neglect of their 
administration, they are allowed to pilfer from the 
poor hucksters such eatables as their necessities re- 
quire, and their strength can secure. The Chinese 
who sell vegetables and fruit, complain bitterly of 
this custom — redress is out of the question. Some 
of this class have little or no time to themselves — 
others have the liberty of one-third, one-half, and 
two-thirds of the year; what are the particular rules 
of this difference I am not informed. Those slaves 
and subjects who are allotted by the King to the 
princes and ofBcers of Government, have the names 
of their masters written upon their arms, and are 
quite at their controuh 



190 



SI AM. 



The more respectable and wealthy, mentioned as 
exceptions to this system of service taxation, are ex- 
ceptions only to a limited extent. They are either 
employed as civil or military officers in his Majesty's 
service, or are obliged to procure a substitute for 
their own bodily labour. In fact, with all their boast 
of freedom — and freemen is the appellation by which 
the nation is known, in their own language — Siam is 
a land of slaves ; the King being the only exception 
to universal vassalage. His Majesty can employ any 
subject, upon any business, for any length of time, 
under any circumstances, and upon any conditions. 
A portion of almost every day is spent by the officers 
and the princes, in lying prostrate before him, and 
awaiting his pleasure. 

The Chinese have been mentioned as enjoying 
more liberty and greater advantages than others. 
Even they groan under the burden of taxes, and 
when convicted of crime — often unjustly as they affirm 
— are made to expiate their guilt by manual labour 
continued beyond all bounds of equitable punishment. 
Many of them, while toiling daily, and throughout the 
day, for the King, are thrown for their sustenance upon 
the mercy of their friends, the charity of the public, 
or those dishonourable measures which the starving 
in his Majesty's service are allov/ed to employ. 

As a necessary consequence of these oppressive 
customs, poverty is a common evil. The great mass 
of the inhabitants have barely enough to support their 



SI AM. 



191 



existence, even upon the most simple fare. During 
the term of service required by their masters, they 
scarcely receive sufficient for their individual mainte- 
nance ; and even their own time, when made avail- 
able to private interest, is not secure from an arbitrary 
call to extra service, or to war. At one season of the 
year crowds of boats are moored abreast of the palace. 
These belong to men who reside in the country, and 
who are annually called from their homes and rice- 
fields, to spend two or three months in practising the 
art of gracefully paddling the king's boats. During 
all this term of useless service they are under the 
necessity of supporting themselves, and neglecting 
their families. 

The misery of the nation is increased by the cor- 
rupt administration of justice. Many of the laws are 
equitable, but, alas! they are only imperative when 
the judge can make them answer a private end. Of 
the unwritten statutes, which, like the traditions of 
the elders, are the only ones deemed practical, the 
most imperative law is the royal nod ; the next is 
the pleasure of his prime minister ; and so on, through 
the descending scale of official rank, the superior has 
the controul of the inferior, and his will the precedence 
of the litera script a. 

The all-absorbing object, from the throne to the 
lowest bench of justice, is self-aggrandizement. Even 
the monarch appears to regard his own interest as 
perfectly distinct from the prosperity of his subjects. 



192 



SIAM. 



In times of scarcity, as the writer has witnessed, 
there is frequently no provision made for the suffering 
poor, when it might be effected with little cost or 
trouble. In fact, such is the power of money, that 
multitudes prefer putting up with indignities and 
losses — for which the law, according to its letter and 
intention, would afford redress — rather than be com- 
pelled to risk the endurance of the additional suffering 
attendant on an appeal to justice, caused by neces- 
sary bribes, or an unjust decision. 

Besides these evils; over which the common people 
have no controul, there are others, of a moral nature, 
which greatly aggravate their present sufferings. 
Among these is the abuse of the marriage contract, 
with its train of complicated miseries. Polygamy is 
in high vogue. The king's seraglio contains between 
five hundred and a thousand women ; and all the 
princes -in fact the whole kingdom — have no other 
limitation to numbers than their wishes and wealth. 
The poorer classes are of course restricted by neces- 
sity, and one evil is thus checked by another. 

Connected with this multiplication of wives, and 
its consequent relaxation of all the ties of kindred and 
affection, there are other prevalent customs in Siam, 
quite as fatal to human happiness. A man who is 
unsuccessful in gambhng, or reduced to poverty by 
other means, may sell his wife, with the liberty of 
redeeming her for the same sum and the expenses 
she has incurred ; or if his admiration of her good 



SIAM. 



193 



qualities ceases, he may put her away and procure 
another. If the wife was purchased— a common 
substitute for courtship — and has no children, there 
is generally no difliculty in dissolving the connexion. 
If she be able to pay the amount of her original 
purchase, she may have the same power over her 
husband. In ordinary cases, however, the concur- 
rence of both parties is so far necessary, that the 
rejected one, whose consent has not been obtained, 
can claim a support, or a sum of money as an in- 
demnification. 

A man who fancies the wife of another can ge- 
nerally obtain her, if his dignity or wealth gives him 
the advantage of her husband ; and a creditor, if he 
can get nothing else, can take the wife and children 
of the insolvent. If the happiness of individuals 
and of society at large depend upon the inviolable 
sanctity of the marriage contract, which its very in- 
stitution would proclaim, it will readily be believed 
that such an abuse of all that is sacred in the most 
important relation of life, must prove fatal to every 
thing but the mere semblance of domestic enjoyment. 

Gambling is another source of depravity and 
wretchedness in Siam. The king derives a large 
revenue from this licensed evil ; and the demoniacal 
spirit it engenders, and the dreadful crimes it insti- 
gates, prove it to be a moral maelstrom, where the 
happiness and hopes of thousands are for ever lost. 
The shameless indecency of language and dresa. 



194 



SIAM. 



the latter of which has been already referred to, is 
also productive of great evils. The epithets of abuse 
most common in this kingdom v^ould shock vulgarity 
itself in civilized countries, and yet this is the 
language employed by high and low, men and women, 
from the angry mother to her suckling, and from the 
stammering child to its offending parent. It is 
impossible to go abroad, or to hsten to those who 
pass the house, without hearing the vilest terms 
mixed up with expressions of anger, and gracing every 
effort at pleasantry. 

Besides these prevalent evils, Jying, cheating, and 
pilfering are exceedingly common; robbery and 
murder by no means rare. Those who have com- 
mercial dealings with them, declare that dishonesty 
and deceit are, with few exceptions, characteristic of 
the nation. The meanness of the great to obtain 
favours, especially from foreigners, is despicable. 
They will accept any thing as a present, and offer 
nothing worth receiving in return — they will crave 
most importunately, and often cringingly, what they 
know you want — they will buy, and frequently 
endeavour to cheat the seller out of much of the 
stipulated sum — they will borrow, and never return 
— and when they can get nothing more from you, 
unless they desire your society for the sake of amuse- 
ment, they never come near you. 

This picture of the condition, moral and political, 
of Siam is a dark one. As far, however, as a careful 



SIAM. 



195 



and minute examination can ensure correctness, it is 
delineated with justice. It has its lights, and those 
who have but a partial acquaintance with the place 
may suppose that we give it too deep a colouring, 
without considering that they behold it only in its 
most favourable aspect, and through a flattering 
medium. 

Some of the more pleasing, and, to a hasty inspec- 
tor, more discernible parts of the picture, we have 
hinted at. One is, the large number of Chinese 
whose condition is better than that of their fellow- 
citizens, and who make an important figure in the 
business of the place. Another, is the undue propor- 
tion of princes, who, like the feudal barons of old, 
move about in considerable style, and impress the 
mind with some idea of their importance. A third, 
is the overwhelming number of priests, whose office 
confers immunities — such as honour without respec- 
tability, and support without labour. 

Besides these, ike majority of the common people, 
who occupy the most conspicuous houses, are the 
fortunate class of tradesmen and shop-keepers, from 
whose prosperity it would be as unwise to deduce an 
opinion of the general condition of the people, as to 
take the most successful merchants at home as the 
criterion of the wealth of the community at large. 
Another light in the sketch, which, however, is but a 
reflected one, is the exceeding productiveness of the 

K 2 



196 



SIAM. 



country, and of course the cheapness of the neces- 
saries of life. 

These things being the most obvious to those who 
pay only a transient visit to the place, who know 
nothing of the language, and have no opportunity of 
witnessing the interior of society, they imagine, as they 
do with respect to other heathen countries, that the 
people are happy, and that western refinement and 
religion would not improve their condition. 

The religion of Siam is Buddhistic. We learn 
from the best authorities that there are more than 
twenty thousand priests in the kingdom, one-half or 
two-thirds of whom reside in Bankok and its 
vicinity. The temples are built at the expense of the 
King, or the principal men in the kingdom. His 
Majesty has shewn himself peculiary zealous in the 
maintenance of the state religion. He has many 
temples, with their monasteries, under his own patron- 
age, which are called by his name, and supported by 
his royal bounty. These occupy the best grounds, 
and are built in a style of splendour with which 
nothing but the palace can compare. 

A monthly allowance of rice and money from the 
public treasury is set apart for the support of the 
priests. Besides this, they enjoy not only the religious 
merits but the temporal advantages of mendicity. 
Every morning they sally forth to collect the alms of 
the people, and generally succeed in getting enough,^ 



SI AM. 



197 



not only for themselves, but also for a host of human 
and canine pensioners, whom their charity attracts 
from every quarter. The rarest delicacies of the season 
are among the gifts w^ith which they are loaded ; and 
the women, who appear by far the most devout, never 
visit the temples w^ithout carrying such presents as 
their circumstances will permit. 

The priesthood is composed of men of all classes 
in society. The temples or monasteries are the only 
schools of learning in the kingdom ; and as education 
is very prevalent, there is scarcely an individual who 
does not pass some portion of his life in these esta- 
blishments. Admittance maybe obtained on the most 
easy terms. Any person may enter who can shew 
that he has an official release from the service tax, is 
not in debt, and has th^ consent of his wife or parents. 
Each may remain as long or as short a time as he 
pleases. When provisions are dear, many avail 
themselves of this easy mode of support, and while 
necessity presses, or indolence prompts, they enjoy all 
the honours and profits of the yellow robe. A large 
number take upon themselves the monastic vow for 
life, and spend all their days in the prescribed round 
of secular and sacerdotal duties. 

The elders teach their younger brethren, preach at 
the pagodas or in private houses, solemnize marriages, 
attend at funerals, consecrate new houses, shave the 
heads of children, perform certain offices for the 
recovery of the sick and the absolution of the dead. 



198 



SIAM. 



and visit those scenes where their sacred presence 
and magical arts are deemed necessary. In former 
days they decided difficult cases of judicature by 
enchantment; but since Mammon has usurped the 
throne of Justice, causes are found less complicated, 
and the services of the priests are superseded. 

The priests are treated with a great shew of respect : 
even the King bows down in their presence, and 
the common people bestow on them the same sign of 
adoration with which they honour their idols. But 
this respect is little more than nominal, or, if real, it 
belongs to the robe, and not to the man. His Majesty, 
with all his professions of inferiority, reserves to him- 
self the right of stripping off this sacred garment and 
punishing the unworthy wearer. Some time ago the 
principal priest, or pope, was found guilty of some 
heinous misdemeanor ; upon which he was disrobed, 
dishonoured, and made a servant to the royal 
elephants. The chief immunities attached to the 
priesthood are exemption from service tax and 
mihtary duties. But here, again, the King has taken 
liberties upon some occasions, and shewn that his 
will and interests are superior to all the laws and 
rights of reHgion. Some years ago, many in the 
inferior grades of sanctity were drafted into the army ; 
which occasioned the most turbulent commotion 
among them. It ended in a partial rebellion, a plot 
to assassinate the king, and finally in the apprehension 
of seven hundred of their own number. 



STAM. 



199 



With so few restraints, and surrounded by so 
many objects of temptation, it is rather surprising 
that any of them should maintain a consistent con- 
duct ; such is the case, however, with a few, who 
are intelHgent, exemplary, and highly esteemed ; 
but the majority bear a very ditlerent character, and 
pursue a disgraceful course of life. 

The influence of ail this display of idolatry upon 
the nation, argues very little in favour of the moral 
advantages of Buddhism. Those who are the most 
dishonest in the means they adopt to secure wealth, 
are often the most hberal supporters of the priests and 
their mummeries. In fact, a bhnd and nearly equal 
reverence for the priests and their idols, and a due 
recrard to the temporal wants of the former, is too 
often the sum and substance of their practical 
religion. 

The religion of Burmah, Pegu, and Laos, being the 
same, the natives of these respective countries who 
reside in Siam join in the worship of their masters. 

The Chinese have brought their creed and their 
idols with them; and here, as at home, they worship 
their gods for temporal favours, and express their 
reverence only by sacrificing to their net, and 
burnino" incense to their drag^." Many of them being 
Buddhists, they readily unite with the Siamese if 
any end is to be o-ained by doino; so. 

The Malays practise a species of Islamism, mixed 
* Hab. I. 15. 



200 



SIAM. 



up, probably, with some of the ancient rites and 
customs of their Pagan forefathers. They are ex- 
ceedingly noisy in their devotions. At some seasons 
whole companies of them spend hours at a time in 
trilling out loud and long-drawn cries. The voices 
of men and women, of infancy, manhood, and de- 
crepitude, are mingled in such grating and boisterous 
strains as completely to disturb the surrounding 
region, and to interrupt the repose of night. 

The Portuguese profess a corrupt Catholicism, 
which resembles, in many respects, the superstitions 
of their Pagan neighbours, and proves quite as inert 
in its moral influence. There are about a thousand 
of them, who, with one or two respectable exceptions, 
are as deeply sunk in mental and moral debasement 
as the lowest class of Pagans around them. Destitute 
of the force of truth in their creed, of morals in their 
practice, of respectability in their character, and even 
of pecuniary shew in their external circumstances, 
their religion makes little or no progress among their 
heathen neighbours. 

The deep degradation and scandalous immoralities 
of many of them, cast dishonour on the Christian 
name, to which they, as well as all their brethren 
in the East, most pertinaciously cling. 

A person may form some idea of the comparative 
reasonableness of these different religions, without 
leaving his abode. One night he hears the bells 
and drums of Buddhism ; the next, the wearisome 



SIAM, 



201 



caridory cries of the Mussulmans ; the third, the gong, 
drums, and squibs of the Chinese; and the fourth, 
the bells, drums, crackers, and guns of the Roman 
Catholics, which seem determined to confound the 
confusion of them all, and to bear away the inglorious 
palm. 

It is only very recently that any thing has been 
attempted by the Protestant world for the moral 
benefit of Siam. The first missionaries who visited 
the place belonged to other stations, and went to 
Siam unsent by the churches at hom«. Had it beeii 
left to their tardy operations, the probability is that 
the kingdom would still have been supposed inaccessi- 
ble, or unimportant as a field for Christian missions. 

In the autumn of 1828, Messrs. GutzlafF and 
Tomlin arrived at Siam, and commenced an inter- 
esting series of labours, in the joint capacities of 
missionaries and physicians. Their journals are 
before the Christian public. Mr. Tomlin was driven 
from the place by ill health, after a residence of nine 
months, and Mr. GutzlafT continued the duties of the 
mission for nearly three years. During this time, the 
New Testament, and parts of the Old, were trans- 
lated, a vocabulary was formed, and two or three 
religious books written. One of the tracts was 
printed, and has been circulated. The other works 
required revision and correction, and, owing to a 
series of obstacles, have not been printed to this day. 
Mr. GutzlafF had also the gratification of baptizing 

K 5 



202 



SIAM. 



a Chinaman, who had renounced his idols and hea- 
thenish customs, and who, as far as could be judged, 
had been made a partaker of the promise in Christ 
by the Gospel/^ 

A few days after the departure of Mr. GutzlafF for 
China, Mr. Tomlin and myself reached the place. 
We immediately unpacked our books— the published 
tract spoken of, and others in the Chinese language- 
opened the medical depository, engaged teachers, and 
commenced our labours. These interesting duties 
were continued for six months, when my fellow- 
missionary was called away to another sphere of 
exertion ; and I was obliged, from the failure of my 
health, to try the effect of change of air and scene. 

A narrative of events during this period has been 
published. Our time was most actively employed 
in labouring, to the extent of our ability, and in en- 
deavouring to extend that ability. Throngs of patients, 
afflicted with almost every kind of disease, daily 
applied for rehef ; and crowds of appUcants for books 
soon carried away our entire stock. Of the former 
number, many were greatly benefited. How far our 
spiritual applications were productive of good was 
not so easy to ascertain ; although we have reason 
to believe that our labours were not in vain in the 
Lord.'' 

A few extracts from the journal kept at the time 
will give an idea of such facts as were thought worthy 
of being recorded. 



SIAM. 



203 



Monday afternoon, July 4th, we called, with our 
friend Mr. Silveira, on the Prah Klang, the director 
of all the commercial affairs of Bankok, and one of 
the principal ministers of state. On our way to his 
residence, about two miles from our present abode, 
we had the opportunity of seeing a part of the city, 
and its suburbs. For a long distance the houses are 
built on rafts, on each side of the river, and the only 
communication is by boats. 

The dwellings and shops are constructed of a 
slender material, and covered with attap. Skiffs are 
employed by the natives for transporting their per* 
sons and light effects. These are so exceedingly 
small that their progress is very rapid : the paddler 
is obliged to sit in the middle and bottom of the boat ; 
and even then, his hfe is endangered by the least want 
of skill, or agitation of the waves*. 

The women, like those in China, bear a part in all 
kinds of drudgery, and become exceedingly coarse 
and immodest in appearance and conversation. 

We landed abreast of the Prah Klang's dwelling, 
and, not finding him at home, proceeded a short 
distance to a pagoda, or rather a suite of buildings, 
about which he has been occupied for the last seven 
years. The princes and official men generally ex- 
pend part of their income in erecting temples and 
supporting priests. What a reflection does this cast 

* Many of them have been overturned in our sight, and num- 
bers drowned within a short distance from our cottage. 



204 



SIAM. 



upon those who, knowing the true God, and pos- 
sessing abundant means for extending that know- 
ledge, neither make provision for their own eternal 
welfare, nor impart their abused privileges to those 
who might improve them ! 

We were apprized of our approach to the presence 
of the Prah Klang by the strange actions of our 
interpreter, a Portuguese by extraction, and the only 
admitted medium of communication between the great 
man and foreigners. When he saw him, though at 
the distance of twenty or thirty yards, he bent his 
body, and crept along like a sportsman approaching 
the game unobserved. In this inclining posture he 
continued until within a few yards of the object of 
his reverence, when he laid himself prostrate on the 
ground, and awaited the pleasure of his superior. We 
all approached, and tendered the obeisance required 
of foreigners — namely, taking off the hat, bowing, 
and sitting in his presence. Except a well-conditioned 
body held in an erect posture, while all the workmen 
and attendants walked with their heads as near the 
ground as possible, there was nothing to distinguish 
the old man from the low^est menial in his train. His 
person was entirely bare, with the exception of the 
cloth usually worn, and there was nothing in the 
texture of that to attract our attention. 

He made a number of inquiries respecting our 
several offices, and especially our object in visiting 
Siam ; and appeared satisfied when Mr. Tomlia 



SiAM. 



205 



mentioned that we came on the same errand which had 
brought Mr. Gutzlaff and himself before. But that 
our fellow-passenger, Lieut. Daniell, should have 
come merely for the benefit of his health, was quite 
a paradox to the old man. The visit of a British 
officer by no means tended to allay the suspicions 
and fears with which the Burmese war had filled 
their neighbours. The interview soon closed. The 
interpreter was commanded to take us round, and 
shew us the great Babylon " which the old 
gentleman was building, part of which he himself 
displayed for our admiration. 

On Tuesday morning we breakfasted with Mr. 
M'Donell, the only European merchant in Siam, 
Mr. Hunter being absent ; and afterwards went to the 
walls of the palace, to see the objects of curiosity 
there. Among a number of the largest elephants 
we ever saw, were the famed white ones of the king, 
supposed to be the habitations of former sovereigns, 
and kept with the greatest care. None but the most 
honoured and virtuous are thought to be favoured, 
after the present existence, with such a rare and dig- 
nified residence. Their hue is far from being white; 
it is nearer the colour of cream. 

We walked nearly round the palace walls ; but 
were not allowed to enter. They enclose an ex- 
tensive area, and the buildings they contain appear, 
judging from the roofs and spires, to be both gaudy 
and commodious. We visited a large pagoda, sur- 



206 



SIAM. 



rounded by many smaller apartments and lofty pillars. 
Some of the latter were of considerable elevation. 
The principal temple was closed, and the priests, 
who were lying about on their mats in the other 
buildings, shewed no disposition to gratify our cu- 
riosity. One of them, with whom we attempted to 
converse on the folly of idol-worship, threatened to 
tell the King that we were defaming his gods. 

Early in the week we transferred our residence to 
the small house allotted to the missionaries by our 
hospitable friend. It stands upon poles, beneath 
which the waters constantly flow, and, though humble 
in appearance and scanty in dimensions, answers 
every purpose. Its super-aqueous situation and nu- 
merous crevices render it dehghtfully airy, and this 
is the point of chief importance in the summer of 
these tropical regions. 

There are many solemn and awakening considera- 
tions suggested by this place. But a few months 
since its doors were opened to receive our brother and 
sister in this mission : now, the latter lies sleeping 
in death, but a short distance from us, and our fel- 
low-labourer has been called away to other scenes of 
exertion. We feel impressed with the admonition, 

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy 
might God grant us grace to improve the lesson 
of His providence, and to work while it is day." 

25th.— The medical depository has been a scene of 
Eccles. ix. 10. 



SIAM. 



207 



much activity since our arrival, owing to the nu- 
merous calls for aid. The diseases of the natives are 
various ; many of them brought upon themselves by 
their iniquities, and some of a deep and desperate 
malignity. Our want of extensive science and 
practice, especially as concerns myself, proves rather 
inconvenient in cases of a complicated nature ; but 
our prescriptions are generally, and sometimes 
strikingly, made to answer the desired end. 

31st. — To-day we had a number of calls, chiefly 
for medicine. One of the applicants was a Siamese 
of considerable distinction. Another did not come 
himself, but sent his servant with a very polite letter. 
The former evinced much confidence in our prescrip- 
tions, and could scarcely be prevented from giving us 
a recompence. The chief grounds of our refusal to 
accept remuneration for medicines, are the importance 
of having this strong argument against the suspicions 
of the people, and the unimportance of the sum 
which they could or would bestow. The utmost 
caution is necessary, to secure the confidence of the 
natives ; and we know of no better means by which 
our motives and object may be known and com- 
mended, than by proving that we act upon such 
principles of disinterestedness as they have never 
seen exemplified before. 

The simplicity of the native character both amuses 
and interests us. Even men of some standing in 
society evince all the artlessness of children with us. 



203 



SIAM. 



They examine with the most minute curiosity the 
texture and fashion of our dress, and not un fre- 
quently extend their scrutiny to the body, proving 
with their hands the depth and breadth of the chest, 
the appearance of the hands, and arms, and face, and 
expressing with the utmost candour, as they proceed, 
their admiration or censure. They very often ask 
for whatever takes their fancy, though it may be in 
use ; and if their request is refused, will point, if it be 
an article of dress, to other garments, which they 
suppose abundantly sufficient for one body, while 
they very significantly observe, that the greater part 
of their own is not even covered. 

Though rather troublesome at present, we are 
pleased to find this characteristic so prominent. It 
shews us their idea of the superiority of foreigners, 
in some respects, at least, and we hope will render 
them less tenacious of their religious opinions, when 
they find them so totally-different from the sentiments 
of more polished nations. Some of them display 
much affection and gratitude for the medicine and 
books. To-day the number of applicants for the 
latter has exceeded any thing of the kind we have 
yet witnessed : high and low, priests and people, 
men and women, old and young, natives and 
foreigners, all throng our cottage, and urge their 
suit with an eloquence which can scarcely be resisted. 
The small number of books, compared with the wants 
of the people, makes us cautious in their distribution, 



SIAM. 



209 



and them earnest in their requests. The novelty of 
the thing is, no doubt, the great attraction. Still, we 
know that their hearts are in the Lord's hands, and 
that the heathen are the purchase and inheritance of 
the Saviour. 

As the tract, though not clothed in Scripture 
phraseology, and not free from errors, is an epitome 
of God's w^ord, and illustrates particularly the re- 
demption of the Saviour, we are encouraged to believe 
that it shall produce effect. 

August 1st. — Whenever the weather would allow 
of it, we have spent an hour or two before breakfast 
in teaching the people from house to house. They 
listen to the Gospel with attention, and though their 
own idolatry is plainly denounced, say nothing in vin- 
dication of it. We daily meet w4th the very counter- 
part of some characters in Gospel lands ; men who 
will take the subject from your lips, and descant 
upon it with eloquence to those around them ; but 
who evidently know little of its import, and nothing 
of its power. Their eloquence is exhausted upon minor 
topics, and when reminded of the great mysteries of 
the Gospel, the points of difference between Chris- 
tianity and the ethics of Confucius, they shew^ by 
their silence that they are quite as ignorant as their 
audience. 

Aucrust 20th. — We have been visited since our 
arrival by several of the princes, whose curiosity and 
covetousness prove rather troublesome. The most 



210 



SIAM. 



interesting character among them makes himself well 
known to all visitors, and would, if divested of the 
fear of royal displeasure, and rightly guided in his 
fondness for foreign customs^ become the greatest 
blessing to the nation. He is the younger son of 
the ex-queen ; his elder brother, entitled by birthright 
to the throne, in place of the reigning monarch, has 
become a priest, by which he is saved the mortifica- 
tion of bowing down to one whom he is unwilling to 
regard as his superior. The title of our visitor is, 

Lord of Heaven." His age is about thirty-three. 
He has acquired a smattering of English ; and is one 
of the most intelligent, manly, and improvable cha- 
racters in the kingdom. He is desirous of obtaining 
a correct knowledge of our language, and probably 
this is his principal object in visiting us. Our 
prayer and aim is, that he may be instructed in the 
principles of the Gospel, and brought to a knowledge 
of the truth as it is in Jesus." We are animated 
in our exertions by the mere possibility that he may 
be preparing to exert an extensive influence in 
favour of Christianity — that, perhaps, he may be 
kept from the throne, only to fill it in future as a 
nursing father to the church. 

This evening is the fourth in succession that we 
have been honoured by the visits of young men in the 
higher walks of life. One of them was a prince, to 
whom Mr. Tomlin had given an English Bible when 
at Siam before. He has a peculiarly amiable counte- 



SIAM. 



211 



nance^ and fascinating demeanour; but, like all his 
countrymen, is as inquisitive as a child in examining 
every foreign trifle that catches his eye. He took 
the last bound volume on our table, and left upon 
our minds an impressive concern for his everlasting 
welfare. 

Two of the Prah Klang's sons, with their suite, 
spent last evening with us. The elder is an intelligent 
and engaging youth, who exerts a powerful influence 
for one of his age, and is probably destined to make 
a conspicuous figure on the political arena of Siam. 
From his inquiries about the book we had been dis- 
tributing, whether it was written and printed by 
natives, and, if not, who it was that had taught 
foreigners the language, we thought we saw symp- 
toms of alarm or suspicion, which were probably 
infused by the old man who sent him. We gave 
him an unbound volume of the book about which 
he inquired, assured that he could find nothing ex- 
ceptionable in it, and hoping that he might be led 
to examine it with more attention and profit than to 
find out the when, the where, and the how, of its pro- 
duction. 

Auo'ust 22d. — An event occurred to-dav, which 
we earnestly pray may be repeated, until the whole 
kingdom is converted to Christ. A priest, of very 
respectable appearance, sent a messenger before him, 
to inform us that he had read our book with appro- 
bation, and, being unable to comprehend some of its 



212 



SIAM. 



doctrines, would be happy to receive from our lips a 
solution of his difficulties. He waited at a short 
distance from the house, until the messenger returned 
to him with a favourable answer. He remained a 
long time, and plied us with such questions as con- 
vinced us that he had thought deeply on the subject. 
The Saviour of sinners was the burden of his 
inquiries — who He was — what was the distinction 
between him and the Father — whether his love ex- 
tended to men of all nations — how he expiated the 
sins of the guilty — and whether God the Father bore 
an equal affection to the world. 

He was particular in inquiring about the nature of 
sin, the process by which the heart could be sanc- 
tified, and the manner of Divine worship. Many 
points of minor importance were proposed, and a 
number of his own opinions submitted to the test 
of our faith. Such was the earnestness of the man, 
that when he thought his questions not perfectly 
understood, he would turn to a Chinese youth in his 
train, and beg him to put the inquiry in Chinese. It 
afforded an opportunity for preaching the Gospel with 
apparent advantage, and many most important ideas 
were suggested to his inquiring mind. 

September 10th. — Three priests of distinction spent 
part of the evening with us. With the fears, probably, 
though evidently not with the object, of Nicodemus, 
they came by night." They had been before, and 
had greatly interested us by their mild and friendly 



SI AM. 



213 



deaieanour. Of Jesus and his religion they always 
speak with approbation, though, we fear, not always 
with sincerity. It is delightful to think that His 
blessed name, and some knowledge of his character 
and olEces, are becoming familiar to these deluded 
men. It is by no means uncommon for us to be 
saluted by the title of disciples of Jesus, — often with 
an encomium upon the gracious Being whom we 
serve. The folly and consequences of idol worship 
were plainly pointed out to-night, and the unpublished 
portion of Scripture, containing the sermon on the 
mount, given to one of them to read aloud. 

That their own rehgion sits lightly upon many of 
them, is evident from numerous facts. Some of them 
do not hesitate to eat, and even to ask us for, articles 
strictly prohibited by their laws. Though not allowed 
to partake of any thing after the mid-day meal, two 
of our visitors had infringed the rules before, and 
were only w^aiting to-night for the assent of their 
superior. 

The priests have hitherto constituted a large pro- 
portion of our visitors. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, 
have applied for books and medicines, and not a few 
of them have become very sociable, and frequently 
spend part of the day, or evening, with us. They 
express no aversion to the dissemination of a faith 
which they might know is both opposed to, and 
destructive of, their own. Many of them, there is 
every reason to believe, care nothing about their own 



214 



SIAM, 



religion, and know as little about ours. Not expect- 
ing to remain in these monasteries beyond their term 
of pupilage, they appear to feel themselves quite as 
much at liberty to gratify their curiosity, as to sacri- 
fice it to an object in which they have no permanent 
interest. Selected from all classes of society, and 
destined to fill all stations in public life — ^having 
abundant leisure to read, and seemingly desirous to 
learn the contents of our little volume— we should be 
callous indeed, if our hearts did not often melt in 
sorrow for their blindness, and prompt the most 
fervent intercessions on their behalf. 

Our most frequent visitor was introduced to us by 
a note from Mr. GutzlafF, in which he is recommended 
as ^' a friend of truth, thoroughly versed in the doc- 
trines of Buddhism, humble and docile, a chaplain to 
his Majesty.'* He is far above the standard of his 
countrymen, and one of the finest models of unchris- 
tianized men we ever saw. He evinces nothing of 
the idle curiosity of his countrymen ; but is fond of 
science, and particularly anxious to learn the habits, 
languages, and rehgions of other nations. He comes 
often for instruction, and proves himself an apt and 
assiduous scholar. There is something more than 
ordinarily engaging in his countenance and deport- 
ment; and the knowledge he has acquired of Chris- 
tianity, and the apparent candour with which he speaks 
of the gracious Redeemer, render ten-fold more de- 
plorable his remaining darkness and fears. At his 



SIAM. 



first visit we gave him the manuscript Life of Jesus, 
which he read ; since then he has taken different parts 
of the unpubhshed Gospels for perusal. 

September 19th.— We spent part of the afternoon 
and dined in company with one of the Cambojian 
princes. He was anxious to see the style and taste the 
dishes of a European dinner, and Mr. Silveira very 
obligingly gratified him. About twenty years ago his 
elder brother and himself fled from their own country, 
owing to some disturbances, and placed themselves 
under the protection of the king of Siam. Since then, 
the king of Cambodjia, their father, has died, and 
though the brother was the lawful heir to the throne, 
their patron has sternly refused them the liberty of 
returning home. A brother, younger than either of 
those in Siam, has obtained the crown. 

This prince, though among the most intellectual 
in the kingdom, has still all the curiosity of the most 
ignorant. Much of his time, in the company of fo- 
reigners, is employed in making familiar and ludicrous 
remarks to his attendants. These generally spread 
themselves on the floor, according to an order which 
appears to exist among them, and as near his chair as 
possible. Whatever strikes the prince as peculiarly 
good or offensive, he hesitates not to pass to his pros- 
trate train for examination and remark. 

The two most important facts we have gathered to- 
Iday, are, that the population of Cambodjia is equal to 
more than half that of Siam, and that there are no 



SIAM. 



Romish priests to oppose the introduction of pure 
religion. As far as we have ascertained, a few cate- 
chists are all that the Roman Catholics have been^ 
able or wilHng to furnish to their proselytes in that 
country, although the priests from Cochin-China and 
Siam occasionally pay them a visit. 

There is every reason to believe that a Protestant 
mission might be planted in Cambodjia. The best 
situation would probably be near one of the mouths of 
its famous river, or perhaps in the vicinity of some of 
the settlements of Malays, Chinese, or Japanese, who 
have emigrated to that country. An annual trading 
vessel visiting the place would be of double utihty 
— rendering an acceptable service to the missionaries, 
and improving, by its traffic, the secular condition of 
the people. Here again we must look to the " ships 
of Tarshish " for those preparatory services, and that 
co-operation, by which we believe that the Saviour's 
reign on earth is to be hastened. 

October 22d, 1831. — ^The present month is one of 
special interest to the Siamese. The priests are kept 
more employed at their solemnities now than at any 
other time, and the whole nation, including the king, 
shew more than a usual devotion to their idols. Offer- 
ings are made to the river, for its use and abuse 
during the year. A part of their ceremonies, if in- 
deed they possess a religious character, consists in 
illuminations and fireworks. 

Last night we took a bo^t, and went to the palace,^ 



SIAM. 



217 



to witness an exhibition in which the monarch him- 
self takes an active part. The current, which at this 
season runs usually at the rate of four or five miles 
an hour, delayed us some time on the way, and we 
availed ourselves of every course in which its strength 
could be avoided. Part of the way we passed among 
boats moored near the shore ; part, between floating 
houses and the land ; and part/through small creeks 
or canals, which run nearly parallel with the river. 
This afforded another opportunity of seeing the 
style in which multitudes are obliged, and apparently 
contented, to live. The contrast is striking, between 
the small and well-peopled huts of the common classes, 
and the spacious grounds and buildings of some of 
the princes. These last occupy the best situations 
on shore, and are generally grouped with temples ; 
and the dwellings of priests who are supported at 
their expense. 

We passed the Prah Klang, sitting in one of the 
floating houses, and amusing himself with firing 
squibs in the water. The number and variety of small 
boats before the palace did not equal our expecta- 
tions. As a mark of respect, we were all obliged to 
keep on the opposite side of the river, whence the 
^ person of the king could not be distinguished. We 
I waited till near midnight, before a lamp was hghted 
^ at the palace. A discharge of fire-works was then 
heard, and two large vessels, on either side of the 
^ King's watering-house, were lighted up with lamps. 

L 



218 SIAM. 

Then a number q£ small boats were richly illuminated, 
and sent down the tide. After which, rockets, and a 
few inferior exhibitions of fire-works, were presented. 

The full-orbed moon riding in silent majesty above 
our heads^ and shedding a lovely radiance over the 
scene, repaid us richly for the beauties which her 
lustre had eclipsed. 

November 8th.^ — For some days the King has been 
visiting the pagodas supported by himself, and fur- 
nishing the priests with such articles of necessity and 
luxury as his zeal and bounty prompt him to bestow. 
This work is considered highly meritorious, and is 
performed annually at this season. The temples built 
and supplied from the King's treasury are numerous, 
amounting to between twenty and thirty, and many 
days are usually expended in completing the round. 
The principal priest of each temple is arrayed on 
these occasions by the hand of his royal master— the 
priest, according to the humble profession of the 
monarch, being the superior. 

To-day the procession passed our house. It con- 
sisted of about a hundred barges, many of them 
more elegant than any thing of the kind I had ever 
beheld. The guard-boats — a splendid array — led the 
van. Some of them were so long and narrow, and 
so well manned, that they seemed almost to fly ; 
though the slightest inclination, it was evident, 
would plunge their contents into the wave beneath 
them. Others, of more substantial material an 



SIAM. 



219 



larger dimensions, carried pieces of ordnance on 
pivots, and were managed by soldiers dressed in a 
flaming uniform. 

The King's galley followed, said to be at least one 
hundred and twenty feet in length, and propelled by 
eighty men. A curve at the bow and stern raises it 
some distance above the surface of the water, and 
adds much to the elegance of its structure. It is 
made of one tree, and many lives were sacrificed in 
transferring it from its native place hither. This, 
however, is no consideration with the Siamese. It is 
by no means uncommon for numbers to perish in 
conveying the kings, or men of authority, on expedi- 
tions of importance. Excessive toil, an exhausting 
climate, and want of relief — the boats being too 
narrow to carry more than one set of hands — soon 
produce fatal consequences to the unpitied boatmen. 

His majesty's portly person had no other covering 
than a cloth about the loins : he was attended by a 
few of the women and children of his large family. 
The boats of the princes followed, many of them but 
little inferior to the king's, and all with horses' tails, 
the insignia of their rank, suspended from the bow. 
The procession was closed by the barges of persons 
of less importance, and the whole was probably more 
than a mile in extent. We were obliged, at the 
command of a fore-runner, to shut the door — a cere- 
mony expected from every one before whose house 
i such a sacred personage passes. The length of the 

L 2 



220 



SIAM. 



array, the great diversity of boats, the unanimous 
shouts bursting from so many lips, the noise of 
those who beat time, with the uniform motions of 
the paddles, and the rapidity with which the pageant 
hastened by, rendered the scene as lively to the 
senses, as its object was sickening to the mind of the 
Christian beholder. How dreadful is the influence 
of the great deceiver over this nation, summoning 
thousands of the pride and power of the kingdom to 
one feat of idolatry ! 

December 1st. — For about two months the Meinam 
has overflowed its banks, and laid the surrounding 
country under water. It is said not to have equalled 
its present height for the last thirty years. This 
morning we took a boat, and steered for the fields 
where we had repeatedly walked, expecting to see 
one hquid expanse unbroken save by the trees and 
scattered houses. We were disappointed ; for though 
we proceeded some distance, and might have gone as 
much further as we pleased^ the luxuriant rice had so 
far overtopped the level of the water, that at a little 
distance the latter was not perceptible. The labourers 
were moving about in boats, cutting the paddy, and 
attending to other business. The country for an 
immense distance is nearly a dead level, and so 
general is the present flood, that it is said you can 
leave the channel of the river and make a straight 
course to Juthia, the ancient capital, about a hun- 
dred miles distant. 



SIAM. 



221 



That there would be some obstruction from the 
tops of the paddy, appears very evident to us, unless 
the soil is more depressed, or less productive, above 
Bankok, than in its immediate vicinity. The houses 
built upon rafts have greatly the advantage at present. 
In many of the others the water is so deep that 
their occupants are obhged to erect platforms above 
the floor upon which to sit and sleep. It is a time 
of suffering to the poor, many of whom have made 
110 provision for this exigence, and are obliged to 
throw themselves upon the charities of a heartless 
people. 

December 6th. — About a fortnight ago a Chinese boy 
appeared before our door, and, being friendless, poor, 
and ill, entreated us to take him in. His case excited 
our pity, and we could not refuse. His employment 
had been suspended on account of the overflowing of 
the waters, and no man would receive him. While 
in prosperity, there is no want of relatives and friends ; 
but when an appeal is made to their pity, it is of 
little avail. The cruelty, of the Chinese especially, 
is quite unnatural. They have sometimes brought 
their sick, reduced to the last extremity of disease, 
and, after laying them before the door, endeavoured 
to make their escape unobserved, glad to get rid of 
the incumbrance, and careless of the consequences. 
The boy lingered till Sunday, when he was found 
dead on the steps leading to his door. He had pro- 



222 



SIAM. 



bably felt a sense of suffocation, and died in the 
attempt to get into the air. 

There was something very affecting in his case. 
Of six of the dialects spoken in the empire, and 
employed more or less by those who are found in 
these parts, his w^as the only one of which neither our 
teachers nor ourselves knew anything. We had both 
been labouring, the very day of his death, to com- 
municate some idea of spiritual things to his mind^ 
but without effect. Oh how impressive the call that 
seems to sound from the clay, which its immortal 
tenant in deep ignorance has just left ! 

December 25th (Sabbath). — Besides the small band, 
consisting of only four or six, who usually worship 
with us, there were two strangers present this morning. 
They had called for medicines before, and from their 
willingness to listen to the doctrines of salvation, and 
a partial knowledge of these doctrines previously 
obtained, much interest was excited on their behalf. 
One of them mentioned, a few days ago, that he had 
known the God of heaven for a number of years, 
but had never seen the " sacred books," — a very im- 
perfect acquaintance doubtless. The other s^id that 
his neighbours came to his house to worship tiie true 
God with him ; but here again we cannot but suspect 
a near approach to heathenism, both in their ideas of 
the Lord and in the manner of their worship. 

They appear, however, like those who are " feeling 



after the Lord," and we earnestly hope that He may 
be found of them. There is something so peculiar 
in their case that we are encouraged to believe that 
an Invisible Hand is leading them *'out of darkness 
into marvellous light," 

27th. — To-day we saw an instance of heathen 
cruelty. The skiff of a lad was upset a short dis- 
tance from the shore. He clung to the boat, and 
begged the assistance of two men who were 
passing by. They passed within a few feet of him, 
and paid no attention to his request. He was carried 
about half a mile, with a strong current, and, though 
others approached very near, none would stop to 
rescue him. When I saw him last he was labouring 
with his feet and paddle to get his boat to shore. I 
asked the inhuman men the cause of their cruelty. 
Some made no reply. One answered, in a tone of 
excitement, He did not call though he evidently 
knew not, if he even turned to see, whether the lad 
was not too much exhausted for the exertion. Though 
this instance is the first of the kind I have seen, it is 
by no means uncommon. Mr. Tomlin says they 
have sometimes been obliged to hire them to rescue 
their suffering fellow-men from imminent danger. 
A trifling sum will move them, when no appeal to 
their pity can. What a blessing is the Gospel, in its 
meliorating influences upon the character of man ] 

Another event, which evinces the patriotism, per- 
haps the cruelty, of a Brutus^ has recently occurred. 



224 



SIAM. 



The King was informed that his son, the heir appa« 
rent to the throne, was in the habit of smoking opium. 
He immediately commanded his property to be sold, 
and himself to be arrested and imprisoned for exe- 
cution. The mother interceded in vain. The other 
princes, and the men in authority, exerted their 
influence in behalf of the youth, with no better effect. 
The second King, though very ill, finding that the 
prince was about to suffer a cruel death for a common 
crime, was conveyed to the palace, and succeeded in 
averting the threatened doom. The circumstance 
has produced considerable excitement, and may tend 
in a measure to prevent the prevalence of a ruinous 
vice. 

December 29th. — To-day we have been cheered by 
some pleasing facts, which render it evident that the 
seed sown in this wilderness begins to appear. The 
two persons mentioned as the increase to the usual 
number of Sabbath worshippers, came again to-day. 
One of them had had his head cut by a stone thrown 
at him while these two and a friend were convened for 
reading the Scriptures and prayer. The house, they 
say, was assailed by a number of Siamese, who pro- 
bably were offended at their departure from the 
heathenish customs of their neighbours. They were 
informed of the sufferings often endured by God's 
children for the same cause, and they manifested no 
disposition to flinch from their newly commenced 
duties. 



SI A M. 



225 



In visiting a sick man, who is in a shocking state 
of disease, we found that he knew something of the 
Lord, and professed to worship Him alone. He was 
too weak to read himself, but a neighbour had come in, 
and read the Christian tract to him. This neighbour 
had been employed by us as a carpenter, and mani- 
fested much intelhgence and interest in his inquiries 
about the Christian religion. Yesterday he was in- 
structed, at his own request, in the nature of prayer — 
a subject upon which their previous notions render 
the nation absurdly ignorant. 

My teacher, whose own heart is like the nether 
millstone, mentioned the case of a man who came 
to see him, after the business of the day, to have the 
sacred books explained. He said that the man had 
no idea how the Lord of heaven should be wor- 
shipped, and, when informed of our Sabbath services, 
asked whether he might attend. 

Another striking case occurred in the dispensary 
to-day. While a lad was employed in reading part 
of a Siamese tract, another, of about eight or nine 
years of age, who sat near, repeated some of it before 
him. I asked him how he knew it: he replied, that 
his father and mother had taught him ; that they 
read the Christian tract every day, and worshipped 
the Lord of heaven. That there is some truth in this, 
is evident from his own knowledge. 

Thus the Lord shews us that our labours are not 
in vain, just at the time when my companion is leav- 

L 5 



226 



SiAM. 



ing the place, and my own health has become so 
much impaired as to unfit me in a great measure for 
exertion, and to render a change desirable, if not 
necessary. Oh that this, and every other heathen 
station, were occupied by numbers, that, when some 
are compelled to retire, others might remain to carry 
on the work ! 

January 2d, 1832. — The priest who was at first in* 
troduced to us by letter, and who has called repeatedly 
since, came this evening with another, who had also 
visited us previously. They had heard, before entering 
the house, that we were both going, and appeared 
more than usually affectionate. We spent all the 
evening in endeavouring to persuade them to turn 
from idols to the only living and true God." They 
listened with attention; asked many questions — one of 
which was, whether God disallovi^ed of idol worship— 
and appeared more solemn than we had ever seen 
them before. The superior has a mind of ready and 
comprehensive powers. He has nearly copied out 
two of the Gospels, and generally understands what 
he reads. He spoke of the fig-tree which Jesus cursed, 
and we endeavoured to enforce its application upon 
himself. We have reason to believe that he is con- 
vinced of the folly of idolatry, and impressed in some 
degree with the reasonableness, if not the necessity, 
of the Christian religion. But his rank is high, and 
the consequences of changing his faith, which his 
grasping mind no doubt fully apprehends, will pro- 



SI AM. 



227 



bably produce a struggle of soul, before he is made 
to submit. His plea for not being a Christian is 
ignorance. He says he knows but little yet. May 
the fear of God, which is the beginning of wisdom/' 
embolden him to profess Christ before his perishing 
countrymen. 

January. — There is something in the beauty of the 
heavens at this season of the year, which makes up 
for the destitution of every earthly charm, and ex- 
ceeds any thing I ever noticed in other climates. 
For many weeks there has scarcely fallen a drop of 
rain. The atmosphere during the day is so clear, 
that the eye wanders through the boundless field of 
vision with a most animating gaze. Nothing can 
exceed the glories of the morning and evening twilight. 
The burnished heavens — the broad rays of the hidden 
sun, shooting up the wide arch of the firmament^ — 
often succeeded by transverse streaks of the most 
delicate and varying colours, and these again yielding 
to a thousand softer and still softer tinges — hold our 
eyes and hearts, at the close of each day, in glowing- 
admiration, until the stars have one by one unveiled 
their glories, and all the celestial worlds beam forth 
through the vaulted azure with the brightest radiance. 
Between the rains and the commencement of the hot 
weather — a period of about three months— the climate 
is delightfully temperate. The summer commences 
very early, and the heat is often intense before the 
rainy season begins. 



228 



SIAM. 



January 6th.— As we passed up the river this 
morning, the gilded temples and spires of idolatry 
gleamed in the first rays of the rising sun, and shed 
a lustre on the scene around them. Crowds of priests 
were passing to and fro; while women, with large 
vessels of boiled rice, and other provisions, were 
sitting before the doors of the floating houses, or in 
their boats, measuring to each his allowance. This 
finished, they put both hands to their forehead — by 
which gesture they worship their idols — while the 
priest does not vouchsafe any recognition of their 
reverence. We called upon a man in office, and were 
informed that the King is preparing to consecrate 
eight new and newly repaired temples. On this 
occasion he throws away a vast sum of money in 
support of his royal dignity. A fixed estimate is 
placed upon his person, his palace, some of his wives, 
his sons, his plate, and other articles. Each distinct 
sum is written on a scrap of paper, and put within a 
lemon. Some of them amount to one thousand dol- 
lars a piece. His Majesty ascends an elevated place, 
and scatters these lemons among the assembled crowd; 
and those who get them receive their respective sums 
upon presenting the paper. Thus, like the afflicted at 
the pool of Bethesda, the most needy are thrust aside, 
while the more vigorous and less miserable come for- 
ward and divide the spoil. 

We passed a funeral procession. The body was 
placed in a coffin shaded by a large canopy. From 



SIAM. 



229 



the coffin a piece of white cloth was passed over the 
shoulder of a lad dressed to represent an angel, and 
fastened to the garment of a priest sitting near the 
bow of the boat. By this means they say the priest 
conducts the deceased to happiness. The body is 
then taken to a temple, and burned, according to the 
custom of the country. 

Before returning, we called at two of the most 
spacious and magnificent pagodas in the city. The 
superiority of one of them consists in the situation and 
arrangement of its buildings ; of the other, in their 
multiplicity and magnificence. In entering the 
outer court of the latter, our attention w^as first 
arrested by large images, more like horses than any 
other animals, and occupying the place of warders. 
All the gates are guarded by these, and another set 
of still stranger figures, intended to represent the 
body of a man with a face of mixed features — a com- 
bination of man, beast, and bird — all distorted, and 
giving the countenance a hideous expression. Within 
this outer court are a large temple and oratory, 
where the priests deliver their discourses ; two or 
three high towers ; and an extensive row of open 
buildings. Having passed through the court, we 
entered a second gate, and found a more spacious area, 
surrounded by wall and corridors, and embelUshed 
with spires of still larger dimensions. 

In the centre there is a stupendous mass of 
irregular buildings, having temples on four sides 



230 



SIAM. 



facing the area, opposite each other, and connected 
by smaller ranges. We entered one of the large 
temples, desirous, if possible, of passing through and 
examining the interior. A number of priests were 
stretched upon their beds, sleeping; others were 
whiling away the time at trifling employments, while 
before them and a large idol — objects of nearly equal 
reverence — women were worshipping. Again our 
irreverence was the subject of inquiry, and again 
we pointed to Him who had denounced such abomi- 
nations, and who alone is to be worshipped. 
Some were silent and sullen; and refused to open 
the inner door. One, who had perhaps received 
a ray of true light, helped us in explaining our 
message. After nearly compassing the buildings, 
which proved no inconsiderable walk, we found an 
open door, and entered. The whole outer range, 
round which we had thus passed, with another of 
nearly equal extent a few feet within, was completely 
filled with rows of gilded images, of different sizes, 
and in different attitudes. The number of idols 
was variously stated by the priests. Our own 
calculation made the aggregate between six and 
seven hundred, though we could not have seen them 
all, and none of the natives would admit that there 
were less than a thousand. The largest image was 
upwards of thirty-five feet high. Enclosed by these 
ranges of buildings we found another court, contain- 
ing a number of tasteful ornaments, of a pyramidal 



SIAM. 



231 



form, and with a splendid temple in the centre. Had 
"Holiness to the Lord/' been inscribed here, this 
inner temple, as guarded as the sanctum sanctorum/' 
would have appeared more beautiful than any thing 
of the kind we had ever seen. 

While our eyes were en:iployed in examining these 
objects of admiration and horror, our tongues were 
busy in argument with the priests and others who 
followed us. The longest discussion took place in 
presence of the largest idol, with two young men, 
who were more zealous for the honour of their gods 
than any we had before met. One of them insisted 
that the image could speak ; for, pointing to a large 
tablet before him, he said, All this was dictated by 
him.'^ The other, retorting our exposure of their 
folly, scornfully represented the cross with his fingers ; 
believing that all foreigners were Roman Catholic 
idolaters, and plainly shewing that Papal abomina- 
tions had proved an offence even to these ignorant 
heathen. We were assisted in correcting this mistake 
-^alas ! too common among the ignorant ! — by an 
intelligent-looking man of middle age, who had evi- 
dently received and been impressed by some correct 
knowledge of Christianity — probably from the books 
— and who aided us in our arguments with much 
apparent interest. 

In some of their temples there is a great display 
of paintings, and the subjects brought together shew 
the extreme ignorance and depravity of the nation. 



232 



SIAM. 



The walls of one of them which I visited, were 
completely covered with representations of heaven, 
earth, hell, and one of the stars of which their books 
speak. There were angels, men, and monkeys — 
foreigners, or caricatures of white men, and dignified 
natives — temples and brothels — scenes of gaiety and 
sadness, of peace and war, by land and sea — with 
almost every sketch which could be framed from their 
sacred books, or conceived by their versatile limners. 
Such another chamber of imagery I never beheld. 
The prince, my informant, remarked, that the object 
of these paintings was to instruct the illiterate 
through the medium of their senses. How far he 
is indebted to some of his friends for this truly Papal 
apology, I know not ; but that he is familiar with 
many of the notions of the Romish church is quite 
evident. One day he pointed to a tower attached to 
a temple, and inquired if I knew what was deposited 
there. I told him that I had heard that some of them 
contained money. He replied, Not money, but 
the bones of God." I asked him how that was 
possible, for God has no body, and a Spirit has no 
bones. He answered, ^*The Roman Catholics speak 
of the bones of God.'' I told him that the Roman Ca- 
tholics in these countries were very ignorant; but not 
quite so ignorant as to speak of preserving the bones 
of God — they must have meant the bones of good 
men. Oh yes," said he ; ^* I mean the same thing ; 
these are the bones of good men." I am not certain 



SIAM. 



233 



but that my apology was unwarranted, for their saints 
hold the same place, and receive the same honours, 
as the gods of the heathen. 

The journal of our first visit to Siam closes here. 
The greater part of the occurrences recorded at the 
time have been omitted : enough has been extracted 
to present, to those who have not read the journal, 
some glimpses of Siam and her population, as well as 
some idea of the means employed to raise them in the 
scale of human and responsible beings. The most 
important inquiry remains to be answered — viz. What 
has been the result of these exertions and favourable 
appearances? how many *^have turned to God from 
idols, to serve the living and true God, and to wait 
for His Son from heaven ? " We answer : We know 
not that this has been the case with any — the time 
has been too short to form an opinion. A heathen's 
mind cannot be enlightened in a day, neither is it 
reasonable to suppose that his heart will be renovated 
until his judgment is informed. The means which 
ordinarily lead to this result have not been employed. 
We have done little more than scatter the good seed, 
and that upon ground loaded v^ith noxious weeds, 
without having had time to witness its springing up, 
still less to cherish it into lively strength. 

And here it may not be out of place to caution the 
reader against those favourable, though false, con- 



234 



SIAM. 



elusions, which are too frequently deduced from 
missionary journals. The difficulty of writing so as to 
inform the Christian world of actual occurrences, and 
yet not to sacrifice a faithful rejDort to the dreaded evils 
of misinterpretation, must be felt by every missionary. |j 
The song of the ploughman and the sower, especially 
when he expresses the joyous expectation of the har- 
vest, is confounded with the shouts of the reaper ; and 
then, when the mistake is discovered, the labourer, and 
not the listener, is blamed. We do not say that no 
misconceptions have been transferred from the mind 
of the sanguine reporter to his reader ; but, in the 
great majority of cases where, mistakes exist, we 
believe them to originate with the latter. For instance, 
when we speak of the avidity with which the heathen 
receive Christian books, the best motive is charitably 
assigned, when they may have been artfully conceal- 
ing the very worst. When their conversation is de- 
tailed, they receive credit for a certain amount of 
knowledge, which among Christians is connected 
with the sentiments they express, but which their 
future lives prove they do not possess. They are 
believed sincere, when they neither feel what they 
say nor know that the truths they profess should 
influence the heart. Their own views and notions 
of every thing sacred are so opposite to ours, that, 
without much experience, and severe scrutiny, we 
cannot determine the standard by which to try them ; 



SIAM. 



235 



and even with this intimate acquaintance with their 
modes of thought, there is constant danger of being 
deceived, through the hypocrisy of some and the 
self-ignorance of others. 

In our excursions abroad, and in their visits to us, 
we have met with numbers who evinced a superficial 
knowledge of the contents of the book we had dis- 
tributed. A few seemed to manifest some impres- 
sion of the truth upon their hearts. We have had 
pleasing evidence that the spirit of inquiry was 
abroad ; but there were no grounds of certainty for 
concluding that any had been renewed in the spirit 
of their minds/' 



236 



CHAPTER XL 

PASSAGE TO SINGAPORE AND MALACCA* 

January 14, 1832. — Soon after midnight, on Friday 
last, we left Bankok, and proceeded in a barge to 
Paknam, where the brig Sebastian was lying. Capt, 
D. L. Shaw had insisted upon our taking a passage with 
him, for which he refused all compensation. Messrs. 
Hunter and McDonald, by whom the ship was char- 
tered, the only Europeans in the place, were among 
our fellow-passengers. We reached the brig early on 
Saturday morning, and immediately weighed anchor. 
In passing over the bar at the mouth of the Meinam, 
the sounding line gave just as much water as the 
vessel drew ; yet nothing occurred to impede our 
progress, and in a few hours we were ploughing our 
way down the Gulf of Siam. With a leading wind 
almost the whole of the passage, and without obstacle, 
apparent danger, or peculiarity of any kind, we 
reached Singapore yesterday (Friday) morning. I 
took up my abode with Mr. Thomsen, and Mr. 
Tomlin proceeded to Malacca, where Mrs. T. is 
residing. 

Singapore is an important missionary station. It 



SINGAPORE. 237 

contains a population of about twenty-one thousand 
souls, of whom upwards of eight thousand are 
Chinese, and seven thousand Malays. But its 
greatest value consists in its relative advantages. 
There is no other mart of commerce so much fre- 
quented by native vessels from the different king- 
doms and islands of South-Eastern Asia. China, 
Cochin-China, Cambodjia, Siam, the Malayan Pen- 
insula, on the continent ; and Sumatra, Java, Borneo, 
Celebes, Bali, Manilla, besides many other islands 
farther East, and numerous other places of less im- 
portance, in all the neighbouring settlements of the 
Straits; send forth their yearly fleets to this free port, 
and return to their respective places loaded with the 
comforts, the luxuries, the drugs, and the dregs of civil- 
ized nations. Many of these proas are from places 
which have never been frequented by Europeans, and 
where there might be much hazard in venturing. 

How important is it that this fountain of commerce 
should be supplied with the water of life," and 
made to send forth its rich streams into the different 
and distant tracts of heathenism with w^hich it com- 
municates ! 

But, like the other stations beyond the Ganges, 
Singapore has received very little attention from 
Christian Societies at home. Mr. Thomsen is the 
only missionary at present in the place. Being 
laboriously engaged in the work of translation and 
printing — the primary and most indispensable busi- 



238 



SINGAPORE. 



ness of a missionary — and enervated, almost ex- 
hausted, by the ravages of a protracted illness — he has 
but little time and strength to attend to the external 
duties of the station. There is not at present on the 
island a missionary to the Chinese. Singapore de- 
mands the labours of at least four men. The Chinese 
alone would tax the energies of one missionary ; two 
should be constantly engaged in supplying the 
different native vessels with Christian books, and in 
visiting the numerous native villages on the sur- 
rounding islands ; and one would find abundant 
occupation in his study, and at the press. Availing 
themselves of the influence of some of the merchants, 
and of pecuniary pledges, by which the late Mr. 
Dalton was secured, missionaries might make excur- 
sions to some of the most populous and benighted 
islands in the Archipelago. The usefulness of such 
men would be proportioned to their faith and enter- 
prising spirit. 

Singapore is the great factory of Malayan pub- 
lications, and the depot of Christian books, in the 
common languages of the Straits and neighbouring 
islands. Mr. Thomsen has nearly completed an im- 
proved version of the Malayan New Testament, 
which will soon be ready to take the place of the 
old edition, prepared by the early Dutch chaplains. 
Considering the poverty of the language, and the 
many disadvantages under which the translation was 
made, the old version is a work of much merit ; still 



SINGAPORE. 239 

it contains words and phrases unintelligible to the 
reader who understands neither the Arabic voca- 
bulary nor the Bible idiom. Besides this important 
work, which is now partially printed, a number of 
others have issued from the same press, and been 
extensively circulated. There are at present three 
Chinese schools here, under the superintendence of 
MissMartyn, The little comparative stress laid upon 
the mere acquisition of the Chinese characters, as well 
as the pains taken to illustrate the ideas they convey 
in the mother-tongue of the children ^, is highly 
commendable, and worthy of universal imitation. A 
desire of acquiring the language is their only induce- 
ment to attend ; but, as the books employed are all 
adapted to convey a far more important knowledge, 
the great object of the teachers may be readily gained 
without interfering with that of the parents and 
children. 

There were formerly two or three Malay schools, 
under the superintendence of Mrs. Thomsen ; but a 
want of health sufficient to contend with the em- 
barrassments which indifference, indolence, and Ma- 
hommedanism combined to produce, have obliged 
her to discontinue her labours for the present. 

The good which might be effected in Singapore 
by education, is incalculable. It requires, it is 
true, much zeal, self-denial, and perseverance in the 



* The mothers are Malays, the fathers Chinese. 



240 



SINGAPORE. 



teachers ; but if there were those who gave their sole 
attention to the schools, the obstacles which now 
exist would gradually yield, until the task became 
comparatively easy. This sphere is peculiarly well 
adapted for ladies. A number of girls' and infant- 
schools might be established with great advantage to 
children, parents, and society at large. 

The European population of Singapore are greatly 
favoured in the faithful preaching of one who has 
their eternal w^elfare at heart, and whose prayers, 
counsels, purse, heart, and hands, are devoted to 
every cause that glorifies his Lord 

January 29th. — We determined to spend part of 
yesterday among the Chinese, Malays, and others in 
the town. The employment was very animating. 
We soon separated — Mr. Thomsen took the Malays 
and Kalings, and I the Chinese. Wherever we 
stopped, numbers gathered round us, listened to our 
remarks, and received our books with the utmost 
readiness. They even came to the door of the 
carriage to solicit tracts, when they were all disposed 
of, and we were about returning home. 

February 26th. — This morning we took a number 
of books, in three of the languages most current in 
the Straits, and visited the southern and western 
shores of Singapore island. We passed on the way 
a number of boats covered with small mats, and 



* The Rev. R. Burn, since deceased. 



SINGAPORE. 



241 



j inhabited by a race of people who prefer these confined 
I prisons to a residence on land. As their mode of 
I life is the same as that of those who dwell on the 
aters in China, and tradition says that the latter 
ire emigrants from some external country, it is possi- 
ble that they and the Orang Laut, as these are called, 
may have had a common origin. They live almost 
as irrationally and slothfully as the indolent tribes of 
beasts around them : every movement seems dictated 
by the necessities of the day. 

We found a very thinly scattered population on 
shore, scarcely any of whom were capable of reading. 
They had lately caught two or three tigers, of a huge 
size and terrific appearance. Their trap is a large 
hole, which they fill with water, and then cover it 
over with brush. A dog is fastened to the centre of 
a narrow board, which passes over the pit, and is 
I made of such frail materials, that when the ravenous 
animal leaps upon his prey, there is nothing to sup- 
port him, and he sinks into the water beneath. In 
some places the country had been cleared and en- 
tirely deserted. After forming a settlement, by 
removing all the thick underwood and planting fruit* 
trees, if a sudden death, or something a little uncom- 
mon, occurs, they imagine that the place is infested 
by a malicious spirit, and immediately leave it. We 
found a few Chinese scattered about, where there 
were any means of making money, and to them, and 
to all who could read, we gave books. 

M 



242 



MALACCAe 



March 6th (Tuesday). — I left Singapore for Ma- 
lacca on Saturday, in one of the small vessels which 
ply between the two places. I was the only foreigner 
among a crew and cargo of Chinese and natives of 
the country. The place assigned for European pas- 
sengers was so low, and so crammed with goods, that 
I was obliged to creep into it ; and then the only choice 
of posture was between lying and sitting. There was, 
however, a free current of air, which is far more im- 
portant in these hot regions than all other external 
comforts. Had the breeze with which we started 
continued, twenty-four hours would have completed 
our passage, but as we were becalmed through the 
greater part of the day, we did not arrive until 
Monday morning. The number of Chinese on board 
afforded free exercise for my stammering tongue, and 
rendered the voyage a season of instruction, at least 
to a few of them. 

The town of Malacca has a rural aspect from the 
offing. It stands on a plain, with numerous trees 
interspersed among the houses, though without any 
striking feature. The most commanding object in 
the vicinity, is the ruins of a large Romish church, 
founded by Francis Xavier, which occupies the 
principal elevation near the shore. There is a small 
light-house and telegraphic apparatus upon the same 
site. The interior of the country is diversified with 
a few hills, and a range of distant mountains bounds 
the prospect. 



MALACCA. 



243 



The place is rendered sacred by the early death of 
two most useful missionaries. Milne and Collie are 
names which will ever be remembered among the 
most distinguished benefactors of China. Though 
their career was brief, their labours were arduous, 
and the works they have written and translated into 
the Chinese language are among the means by which 
the regeneration of that empire may be effected. 
Mr. Hughes is now the only missionary at the station. 
Mr. Tomlin returned with me from Siam, to take the 
superintendence of the college ; Mr. Kidd, the prin- 
cipal, having been obliged to return to Europe for the 
benefit of his health. 

March 9th. — Malacca boasts a healthful climate, 
interesting scenery, and pleasant roads. The prin- 
cipal drive for exercise, is round a large Chinese 
cemetery, which stretches over an irregular surface 
of ground, and encloses two or three miles within its 
limits. Some of the tombs are extensive and orna- 
mental. There are one or two retreats a few miles 
from the town, along the sea shore, to which the 
residents resort for relaxation from duty, and bodily 
recreation. 

This evenino* I attended a relio;ious meetino; in one 
of the Chinese schools. The service was conducted 
as in similar meetings in Christian lands, and con- 
sisted of prayer, singing, reading, and exhortation. 
More than a dozen Chinamen were present, who 
seemed attentive. The place, object, w^orshippers, 

M 2 



244 



MALACCA. 



and especially the season, a week-day evening, im- 
parted a peculiar interest to the occasion. Oh how 
animating is the prospect that the Lord shall be 
worshipped in heathen as in Christian lands! still 
more delightful, that His will shall be done in 
earth, as it is in heaven.'' 

March 12th. — ^The Anglo-Chinese college in this 
place was instituted for the purpose of qualifying 
young men to become teachers to their countrymen, 
with the earnest hope that the *' God of all grace 
would sanctify their talents to himself. Among the 
few who have fully answered the expectations of the 
missionaries, is Leang-Afa, who received his early 
and lasting impressions while engaged as a printer 
to this institution. If native teachers are to become 
the chief instruments in the conversion of the nations, 
schools of this kind are probably the means by which 
they are to be trained for their office. For some 
years past, the number of young Chinese in the 
college has averaged between twenty-five and thirty. 
The aim of the teachers is to give them instruction in 
Christian books, translated into their own language — 
also to teach them English, and improve them in 
their own literature. All the Chinese in any capacity 
connected with the institution, are called together 
every morning at seven o'clock, for reading the 
Scriptures, prayer, and singing. Those who do not 
understand Chinese, are assembled for the same pur- 
pose by the Malay missionary, an hour later. The 



MALACCA. 



245 



remainder of the time is devoted to their several 
employments, and the day is concluded as it was 
commenced. 

On the Sabbath, there is preaching in the chapel 
belonging to the Society, by both the missionaries, in 
the languages of their respective departments. Two 
or three stated services are also held in the week, 
generally in the school-rooms, where a small number 
assemble, and are conducted like the one described 
above. 

Attached to the college is a printing establish- 
ment, where a large proportion of the Christian books 
distributed at the different Chinese stations is pre- 
pared. There are also fonts of English and Arabic 
type, the latter for the Malayan language. Malacca 
is highly and justly celebrated for the number of its 
native schools. Children of Chinese, Malay, Portu- 
guese, and Kaling parents, are all taught, in their 
respective languages, the truths of Christianity. 

There are, at present, about one hundred and 
fifty, or two hundred, Chinese boys, belonging to the 
schools superintended by the principal of the college ; 
one hundred Chinese girls, under the instruction of 
Miss Wallace ; between two hundred and fifty and 
three hundred Malay children, under the care of 
Mr. Hughes, the Malay missionary; and about two 
hundred more, principally Tamul and Portuguese, in 
charge of the ladies belonging to the Resident's 
household, and one or two others of a kindred spirit^ 



246 



MALACCA. 



who live in the place. These schools, as the reader 
may infer, afford a fine sphere for female usefulness. 
They have been blessed with the influence and efficient 
labours of active ladies, and might be made still 
more extensively beneficial if they received the 
patronage from abroad which they require ^. Alas 
that this should be the chief complaint in every 
place where efforts are made for the conversion of the 
heathen ! In every plan of Christian benevolence, 
the missionaries and teachers find a liberal patron, an 
efficient coadjutor, and a most congenial friend, in 
S. Garling, Esq., Resident of the station. 

On Tuesday evening, March 27th, I left Malacca 
in a native brig, bound for Singapore, with such a 



* Since the above was written, some of the girls^ schools have 
been suspended for want of funds, and two or three ladies, who 
took an active part in teaching, have been removed. It is highly 
important that female education in Malacca, and in all the East, 
should be taken up by ladies at home, and supported with the zeal 
and perseverance w^hich the object demands. — Note hy the Author. 

The Society for the promotion of Female Education in China, 
India, and the East, was formed in July 1834, to meet these 
necessities. A grant of £50 has already been transmitted to the, 
Malacca schools ; and the Committee have made choice of a lady 
in all respects well fitted for the work, who is now (March 1835) 
on the point of proceeding thither to undertake their superin- 
tendence ; Miss Wallace, of whom mention is made above, 
having been removed to Siam to begin the work of education 
there. The Committee hope shortly to send an agent to Singapore ; 
and they believe that, in many of the places mentioned in this work, 
schools might be established, with every prospect of success, were 
a sufficient amount of funds placed at their disposal to enable 
them thus to extend their efforts. Further particulars respecting 
the object and proceedings of this Society will be found in their 
statements, published by Edward Suter, 19 Cheapside. — Editor. 



PASSAGE TO SINGAPORE. 



247 



number of fellow-passengers, principally Chinese, as 
at night filled the berths, covered the floor of the 
poop-cabin, occupied nearly all the space below 
decks, and rendered it difficult to walk without tread- 
ing upon some of them. Owing to calms, opposing 
winds, and numerous obstructions on the uncoppered 
bottom of the vessel, we did not arrive until Monday 
morning, April 2d. 

When confined for a number of days with the 
same persons, it is difficult, without great command 
of their language, to obey the call of duty and com- 
passion towards them. The subject of Christianity, 
after being introduced a few times, and enlarged 
upon sufficiently to teach them how they can be 
saved, becomes stale, and requires a variety of 
phraseology to place it in different Hghts, and render 
it at all interesting. One expedient has been adopted, 
I beheve with profit. When assembled in groups 
for conversation, of which they are very fond, I have 
accosted them ; offered the most respectable of their 
number a Christian book, to read, and explain for the 
edification of the rest; and then myself joined the 
company upon the floor, as an auditor and occasional 
prompter. At these seasons I have felt the deepest 
interest in interceding in their behalf, and could not 
but hope that the plan would be blest. 

After returning to Singapore, the writer awaited 
the first opportunity of proceeding to Siam. During 



248 



PASSAGE TO SIAM. 



this interval he frequently assisted Mr. Thomsen in 
the distribution of books, both on shore and in the 
harbour. The season at which the Chinese visit the 
tombs afforded an opportunity for much exertion, 
both in teaching them orally and in dispersing books* 
All the junks from China, and others from Siam 
manned with Chinese sailors, were supplied. 

April 18th. — I embarked last evening in a Chinese 
junk for Siam. An effort was made to procure a 
passage immediately on my arrival from Malacca, 
but the captains of the junks refused to take me, 
for fear of incurring the displeasure of the Siamese 
king. I am indebted for this opportunity to the 
kindness of W. Scott, Esq., the custom-house officer, 
who has great influence with the Chinese owing to 
his situation. 

The junk is about three hundred tons burden. In 
construction she is rather superior to the majority of 
Chinese vessels, presenting a less stern-like, semi- 
lunar, bow to the water, and consequently being 
swifter and safer. She carries upwards of forty men, 
and has one or two passengers besides myself. Mine 
is the only white face and English tongue on board. 
It will probably surprise a Western sailor to learn that 
the men receive only about fifteen dollars a voyage, 
which consumes generally from four to nine months ; 
and it will be no less amusing to a Western traveller 
to hear that a native passenger pays but four dollars 



PASSAGE TO SIAM. 



249 



from Singapore to Siam — that is to say, for one cer- 
tainly, and sometimes for two, months' board and 
lodging. 

The place assigned to me is a box on the quarter- 
deck, resembling an oven, and so straitened in its 
dimensions that it will hold very little more than 
myself : nor can I sit upright except upon a low 
trunk. With the exception of the Captain, who 
probably wishes to frighten me out of a little more 
money, or into a little less comfort than was stipulated, 
the crew, though rough, are civil and obHging. 

19th. — I have succeeded in changing my apart- 
ment for one next it, less attractive in external 
appearance, but rather broader and cooler. The 
Captain has relaxed the muscles of his face, and 
we are all now on the best possible terms. It is a 
great source of amusement to them to see me walk 
the deck for exercise. Bodily exertion of any kind 
appears to the minds of all these natives to be incom- 
patible with comfort. They have an idea that this 
exercise must be a religious performance ; and, when 
I come out, they frequently mention the number of 
steps and turns which the duty demands. I attempt 
to shew them, by disappointing all their conjectures, 
that this is the suggestion of their own fancies. It 
requires much presence of mind, in taking recreation, 
not to interfere with some of their strange notions. 
They have an idea that walking with the hands 
behind the back is an ill omen, and retards the progress 

M 5 



260 



PASSAGE TO SIAM. 



of the vessel. Other whims, too numerous and 
absurd to mention, prove rather annoying, where 
there is little disposition to be unbending in trifles, 
and none to indulge them in their superstitions. I 
find it an excellent school for improvement in 
that dialect of the language which is of most service 
in Siam. 

21st. — All things go on well but the junk, and she 
reminds one of a well-saturated log of wood, in her 
grievous, groaning movements. For the last forty- 
eight hours it is doubtful whether we have made 
more than half that number of miles. When the 
wind is a-beam, so great is the lee-way that there is 
but little advantage in weighing the large wooden 
anchor. If from any cause they are obliged to 
lower the main-sail, it is painful to witness the 
exertion of muscles and lungs required to hoist the 
cumbrous mat ^ to its place : two windlasses — one 
of which extends across the junk, and the other from 
the mainmast to the side — are put in requisition, in 
this laborious task. The Chinese seem determined 
to lay their muscles under the least possible obhga- 
tion to mechanical agency. When they wish to pump 
the ship, a pole is placed across, at some height above 
the hatch-way, to which a pulley is suspended. 
At one end of the rope passing through the pulley, a 
large bucket is let down, and drawn up by a number 
of men at the other end, while one or two are stationed 

* The sails of native vessels are generally made of mats. 



PASSAGE TO SIAM. 



251 



below to fill it. The work goes on most cheerfully, 
though with little shew of subordination— the sailors 
having generally as much to say as the officers, and 
the officers as much to do as the sailors. 

23d. — Last night the riot and revel of idolatry 
commenced. From the parade of gongs, gilt paper, 
and other ominous articles with which I was familiar, 
I was apprised of their intentions, and my spirit w^as 
stirred within me. I raised my voice ; endeavoured to 
convince them of their error, ridiculed their folly, 
warned them of their guilt, tried every expedient ; but 
all in vain. The gongs and drums struck up, the 
paper was lighted and cast into the sea, and the vain 
offering quickly and irreverently finished. They told 
me that the morrow was the birth-day of their god- 
dess Ma-cho-po. 

This morning, at dawn of day, the same service 
was performed, and again at eight o'clock, with 
many additional offerings of flesh, fish, and cake. 
Again I summoned my tongue to the contest; but 
with no better success than before. Some laughed ; 
others were angry. The chief officer, to whose 
reason an appeal w^as made, and w^iose previous 
conduct had convinced me that he was a man of sense, 
took my interference in high dudgeon. My boy, 
feeling apprehensive of the consequences of denounc- 
ing their popular deity with such forwardness, came 
and begged me to desist. I certainly had no intention 
of irritating them needlessly, nor any fear of attempt- 



252 



i>ASSAGE to SIAM. 



iiig what a sense of duty prompted. What grieved 
me peculiarly, was the office of a quiet, interesting 
man, somewhat advanced in life, who had read the 
Christian books in my cabin, and who appeared to 
comprehend many of their truths. Instead of mani- 
festing the least regard for what he had been taught, 
he stood before the image, kneeled a number of 
times, and bowed his hoary head almost to the deck. 
There was but one retreat from this affecting scene, 
and were it not for this refuge, the missionary's 
heart would often sink in utter despondency beneath 
the pressure of his trials. Oh how refreshing is it, 
at such seasons, to pour out the soul in prayer to 
Him who not only has the power, but has announced 
His determination to destroy idolatry, and restore His 
ignorant, rebellious creatures to Himself. 

The conversation on the subject of idolatry com- 
menced publicly this morning, and resumed at dif- 
ferent times throughout the day, will, I sincerely hope, 
lead them to reflect upon the stupidity, as well as the 
crime, of worshipping those whom they acknowledge 
to have been but men, and whose dumb images only 
they thus reverence. One favourite plea with them 
is, that different countries have different customs — 
in other words, that fashion is law, and her dictates 
absolute. Another reason, which, if true, would be 
more rational, is, that those whom they worship, 
though they were mortals like themselves, have been 
transformed into gods as the reward of their merit. 



PASSAGE TO SIAM. 



253 



One thing, already mentioned, which gives peculiar 
zest to a Chinaman's sacrifice, is the feast which 
follows. A good-sized porker, preserved many months 
for the occasion, was slaughtered this morning, and, 
after the formal presentation of part of it to the 
image, applied to the purpose for which it was really 
intended. They had been living before upon rice, 
salt fish, and vegetables, and were prepared to wel- 
come and enjoy this temporary change of diet. Of 
all their ordinary meats, pork is the favourite among 
the Chinese. 

May 2d. — Contrary to expectation, we were not 
out of sight of land more than twenty-four hours. 
Five days have nearly passed since we opened the 
rugged scenery of Tringano, and though we have 
been proceeding with all sails set, and a considerable 
breeze during part of the time, we have scarcely 
succeeded in leaving it out of sight. Tringano 
appears to be a projection from the peninsula of 
Malacca, peculiarly varied in its general aspect, and 
notable for its piracies. It is said that the Rajah is 
the head of the banditti. I was by no means sorry 
to learn that our vessel is too large to invite an 
attack from these desperate marauders.* About three 
years ago, my friend and fellow-missionary, Mr. 
Medhurst, visited this place in a small boat, and 
encountered the most frightful dangers from pirates 
on the way. 

This afternoon another feat of idolatry was per- 



254 



PASSAGE TO SIAM. 



formed. It was intended as an act of homage to the 
presiding deity of a hill, opposite to which we are 
sailing. Lamps were lighted, paper burned, cakes 
and fruit spread on a mat, the gongs rung, and the 
aged man, spoken of before, bowed his head a num- 
ber of times nearly to the deck. My spirits have 
seldom sunk so low. After what has been said, which 
their reason assents to, the noise sounded to me like 
thd knell of the second death. 

9th. — Last night we encountered a severe squall. 
The lightning, thunder, wind, and rain, gave to the 
scene a sublimity, which the hurried confusion and 
want of skill evident among the boatmen would have 
converted into terror to my mind, had it not been 
for my hiding-place and my shield.'' When the 
squall came on, the mate called for gold paper, and, 
holding it up in the face of the storm, bowed, and 
threw it into the deep. It would probably have 
puzzled his own imagination to decide, what par- 
ticular deity he was thus appeasing. 

Last year it is said that thirty or forty vessels 
were lost, on their return from different places. 
My teacher says that seventeen which sailed from 
Siam, and four out of six from Singapore, bound 
for China, never arrived. Several hundreds of their 
own coasting vessels are reported to have met with a 
similar destiny. 

For two days we have been sailing in the vicinity 
of most interesting upland scenery. It varies, from 



PASSAGE TO SIAM. 



255 



the small mound, through almost every gradation of 
height and peculiarity of formation, to the lofty 
mountain, at whose feet this morning's mists were 
spread in delicate fleeces, and whose majestic head 
overlooks the floatino; clouds which love to linofer 
around it. The castellated form of some of the peaks, 
rising to a considerable perpendicular elevation, is a 
peculiar feature. 

On the coasts of the Malayan peninsula there are 
a number of native states, in which, according to the 
belief of those who have visited them, missionaries 
might reside aiid labour. Some of these are subject 
to the king of Siam, and the rest are under the Go- 
vernment of native Rajahs. From the most authentic 
information that could be obtained, both from the 
natives themselves and the Malays in their vicinity, 
it appears that there are four tribes of aborigines 
living in the Malayan peninsula, and known by their 
original names, namely, Samang, Sakei, Udei, and 
Rayat. In stature and features they are all like the 
Malays. 

The Samang tribe live in the depths of the forest, 
and never come down to the villages. They neither 
sow nor plant, but subsist upon the fruits of the 
forest and the spoils of the chase. Their sole em- 
ployment is hunting. Whatever they meet they kill 
with the sumpit, and eat all, whether bird, beast, or 
reptile. Their language is not understood by any 
but themselves. They hsp their words, the sound of 



258 



PASSAGE TO SIAM. 



which is very indistinct, more like the noise of birds 
than the voices of men. They have neither king nor 
chief, but there is one, whom they style Puyung, to 
whom they refer all their requests and complaints, 
invariably abiding by his decision. They have no 
religion, no priests, and no ideas whatever of a Su- 
preme Being, the creation of the world, the soul of 
man, sin, heaven, hell, angels, or a day of judgment. 
The puyung instructs them in matters relating to 
ghosts, evil spirits, and sorcery, by the belief of which 
they are all influenced. They never quarrel nor go 
to war with another tribe. When one 6f the Samang 
tribe dies, the head only is buried ; the body is eaten 
by the people, who collect in large numbers for that 
purpose. 

The other aborigines were originally one tribe only, 
known in Malacca by the name Jakon ; from them 
sprang the Sakei, Udei, and Rayat. These tribes are 
much alike, and speak the same language, though 
they keep distinct. These three cultivate the ground, 
trade in the neighbouring villages, and bury their 
dead. The bark of trees furnishes them with 
clothing, the roots and leaves with medicine, and the 
branches and foliage with shelter for the night. 
They are entirely ignorant of their own history, 
neither knowing whence, nor how, nor when, they 
came to the country ^. 



* These particulars are extracted from a small sheet published 
in the Straits of Malacca some time ago. 



PASSAGE TO SIAM. 



257 



10th. — To-day there was a new feast of idolatry, 
new at least to me. A raft of bamboos was prepared, 
which they almost filled with gold and silver paper. 
This they let down into the sea, and then fired the 
paper, amidst the noise of the gong, the solemn 
antics of the old man, and the offering of a variety of 
eatables, some of which, with less than their usual 
wisdom, were thrown into the water. 

14th. — Last night we cast anchor outside the bar, 
at the mouth of the Meinam ; and now we are 
waiting for dispatches from the owner at Bankok. 
Notwithstanding the rigid laws of the kingdom 
against the importation of opium, and the rank and 
office of the person to whom the junk belongs, we 
have a quantity on board, which will no doubt detain 
us, until safely smuggled on shore. The weather is 
very oppressive. Scarcely a breath of air finds its 
way into my apartment, while the sun beats upon it 
with his fiercest rays. We find ourselves greatly 
favoured, notwithstanding the apparent dulness of 
our daily progress. Two junks came to anchor 
shortly after we arrived, one of which sailed a month, 
and the other half a month, before us. I had been 
disappointed — providentially and happily, as I now 
find it to be — of a passage in the latter. 

Thus ends the voyage. I have seldom, if ever, 
been so much impressed with the degradation of the 
heathen, as during the month spent on board this 



258 



PASSAGE TO SIAM. 



junk. How striking, how total, the change which 
the Gospel of Jesus makes in a rational mind ! In 
fact, no mind is rational, until restored to its original 
harmony by the influence of the Gospel. The con- 
dition of the heathen is more deplorable than that of 
many maniacs in Christian lands, for these may have 
lucid intervals ; they are sunk below the brutes, for 
their apprehension of things is correct as far as it 
goes ; they are beneath the very stock and stone they 
worship, for these cannot mistake their worshippers 
for dead men— while their worshippers madly con- 
found them with the living. It is better to have no 
ideas on any subject, than wrong impressions of 
every important truth. Let those who say there are 
no advantages in the Christian religion, come forth 
and look upon these heathen. Civihzation — if that 
which has not a true religion for its basis merits the 
name — has been exerting its influence for centuries 
among the nation to which this crew belongs. And 
yet what do they know ? All that they behold in 
creation — all that they witness in providence — all 
that their reason can suggest — does not lead them, 
neither did it lead their sages, to the obvious con- 
clusion that there is one, and but one, Supreme Being. 
With respect to the object of the present life, the 
realities of the future, and every thing relating to 
their eternal interests, no phrensied imagination could 
be wilder. And this ignorance extends not only to 



PASSAGE TO SIAM. 



259 



the most important of all truths, but also to the most 
simple subjects of worldly science. Of history, 
geography, astronomy, philosophy, medicine, all of 
which they profess to understand, they know but 
very little ; and the influence of that little is nullified 
by the mass of error with which it is mixed up. I 
sincerely hope that the mode and frequency of social 
worship, and the observance of the Sabbath which 
they have witnessed, with the books distributed, and 
our frequent conversations, may be blessed to the 
eternal welfare of some of these ignorant but amiable 
men. Four of us have daily crowded into my little 
den, and regularly maintained a morning and evening 
service. It has been a source of frequent regret 
that there was no place on board sufficiently spacious 
to accommodate more, except where the noise and 
bustle were so great as to prevent the performance of 
religious w^orship. 

16th. — Still at anchor. A number of Chinese 
junks returning to the empire, and of smaller ones 
passing to and from the Meinam, gives much life to 
the scene. There are, it is said, upwards of eighty 
vessels trading; between China and Siam this season. 
Besides the exercise of patience, it afibrds a favour- 
able opportunity, as the eye ranges over a part of this 
heathen kingdom, to reflect upon the nature and 
dreadful responsibility of the missionary work under 
existing circumstances, \yere it not for the promise 



260 



PASSAGE TO SIAM. 



of sufficient grace, and the constant intercessions of 
our Advocate with the Father, the mind would recoil 
from the contemplation, and, if it could not bury 
itself in forgetfulness, would lie down in despair. 
And why should one be left to attempt that alone, 
which devolves upon many, as an equal duty, and 
demands the united labours of a host? Can the 
unwillingness, or even the deepest sense of unfitness 
to come up to the help of the Lord, release any from 
the obligation imposed by the Saviour's command ? 
Exalted, but neglected. Saviour, arise, and plead 
thine ow^n cause ; then shall the heathen be saved ! 

19th (Friday). — After a detention of three days, 
before the owner could receive information of our 
arrival, and the opium be transferred to vessels 
better adapted for smuggling, we weighed anchor, 
and entered the Meinam. A fresh and free breeze 
soon wafted us to Paknam, which is the post of the 
first revenue officer. The river thus far is lined with 
a thick jungle, with no cleared spots, and with but 
one or two fishermen's huts along the shore. The 
following morning a number of Government officers 
came on board, and after drinking tea, and disputing 
with the Captain for some time about the amount of 
presents, or more properly bribes, which each should 
receive, they bore away their fardelsy and left us to 
proceed. They did not know but that every box on 
board, except one of mine, which attracted their 



PASSAGE TO SIAM. 



261 



curiosity, and every part of the ship, except the 
most exposed places, were stowed with contraband 
goods. 

The curiosity of the Siamese and country-born 
Chinese appears very childish to a stranger. While 
I was sitting conversing with one of them, two or 
three were behind me, examining my dress, and lift- 
ing up the outer garment to see the texture and 
number of those within. Their cupidity is as annoy- 
ing as their curiosity is amusing. Their ideas of 
beneficence are limited to deeds of alms-giving — 
chiefly the support of the priests — and when one of 
them, of some rank, heard that I was engaged in 
labours of benevolence, he gave me no rest from his 
unwearied importunity — first begging for what caught 
his eyes, and then for money. That I should have 
come to Siam without the expectation or desire of 
amassing wealth — merely to teach them about the 
God of heaven, and give them books and medicine — 
was so incredible, to those who had heard little of the 
missionaries before, that they would repeat again 
and again the same question about my object in 
coming, as though the reply they uniformly received 
was too absurd to claim a moment's remembrance. 

When the morning scene had closed, and the tide 
suited, we proceeded up the river, doubtful whether 
we should be able to pass the situation of another 
custom-house officer, about twelve miles further, 



262 



SIAM. 



without some detention. This officer did not even 
board us. Here, as at Paknam, are batteries on each 
side of the river, one of which is very extensive, with 
a collection of native huts in their vicinity. On 
Friday morning I left the junk at anchor a few 
miles below Bankok, and came up in a small boat 
to the house of our former patron and friend, Mr. 
Silveira. 



263 



CHAPTER XII. 

SIAM. 

My second residence in Siam lasted between five ' 
and six months. The object which hastened my 
departure from the straits, before there could be a 
rational hope of the restoration of health, was to 
supply the Chinese junks, about returning to the 
empire, with Christian books. It appeared so doubt- 
ful whether, even if I remained longer at Singapore, 
I should not be eventually compelled to try a change 
to a colder climate, that I felt determined rather to 
hazard the experiment upon my health, than to suffer 
an opportunity of such extensive usefulness to pass 
unimproved. With the blessing of the Lord, striking 
and encouraging in many respects, I arrived in time 
to furnish about fifty junks, bound for China and 
Hainan, its dependency, with the Scriptures and i 
Christian books. The delay of a week would have 
lessened this number materially. Nearly thirty had 
already sailed, and the rest were hastening away with 
the greatest dispatch. The mornings and evenings 
of nearly three weeks were thus employed, at the 
close of which time a return of debility restricted me 



264 61 AM. 

to in-door labours, and even these received but a 
superficial attention. 

The most hopeful circumstance concerning the 
mission, is the number of attendants upon our Sabbath 
services. Between twelve and twenty Chinese have 
generally been present — few indeed, contrasted with I 
the myriads who cling with madness to their idols, 
but encouraging when compared with the past. Our 
auditory has been gradually increased by a species of 
raanagement, which, had I remained, would probably 
have swelled it to a large congregation. In conversing 
with the numerous applicants for medicine, I told 
such as I thought could well attend, of our Sabbath 
service, and appointed that day and hour for them 
to come for a fresh supply of medicine. Many who 
commenced their attendance through these means, 
became too much interested in their new pursuit to 
discontinue it. Besides this, about half a dozen have 
enjoyed the benefit of daily worship and catechetical 
instruction. The effect has been, that the majority 
have had their ideas on the doctrines of Christianity 
greatly enlarged, and a few have manifested such an 
effect of the truth upon their hearts as I sincerely 
hope may prove to them the dawn of an eternal day. 
These have rejected their idols, and established the 
daily worship of the true God. 

I have not ventured to baptize any, and, conse- 
quently, term none of them converts. The most 
hopeful have lived too far off, to bring them under 



SI AM. 



265 



such a course of instruction as seems important, 
where the mind is just emerging from gross darkness, 
and where the hght itself shines so dimly. I expected 
soon to leave the place, and feared that a change of 
circumstances might produce a change in their im- 
pressions and conduct ; and, what was more, I knew 
that if they were the children of God, they would 
remain such — if not, the administration of this rite 
might prove a source of delusion to their own minds, 
and of scandal to those around them. The person 
who was baptized by my predecessor, Mr. Gutzlaft, 
appears to know the truth in the love of it. He has 
renounced all the absurd notions and customs sanc- 
tioned by their religious creeds, and blended w^th the 
renown of their ancient moralists — an evidence of 
mental renovation which can be estimated only by 
those who know how the Chinese plume themselves 
upon the parade of this knowledge, and with what 
diflScultv thev are made to abandon it as absurd. 

The Siamese were much more reserved than before, 
probably at the suggestion of those who begin to 
open their eyes upon the consequences of intercourse 
with us, and tremble for the doom of their gods and 
temples. A fabric of idolatry so extensive and 
consolidated as the prevaihng religion of Siam, based 
upon the interests of a vast body, a nation of 
priests, supported by the superstition, the pride, and 
of course the power, of the Kings, the princes, and 
the whole community ; cannot be expected even to 

N 



e 

I 

fl 



266 STAM. 

totter upon the application of so slight a force as we 
have brought to bear against it. This remark is 
made, to guard against the impression of many tha 
the ruling powers of Siam, and the community at 
large, are rather the patrons than the opposers of 
Christianity. However favourably the few who 
examined the subject may have received it when it was 
a novelty, and a matter of curious inquiry, yet that 
was not the time of trial. ^ 

The power of the truth in pulling down strong-l 
holds without — their venerated temples and idols, — 
and the still stronger holds within— even all their 
sacred associations and deep-rooted habits — had not 
been experienced nor understood. Neither do I be- 
lieve it to be yet known, except to a very limited 
extent, although there appears to have been suspi- 
cions in the minds of a few, of the object and 
probable tendency of our labours in the kingdom. 

Medical knowledge is calculated to give influence 
to the missionary. It attracts many, from different 
and distant parts, to whom we could otherwise have 
no possible access. It affords an opportunity for in- 
structing those who come, and lays them under such 
obligations as can be made available in securing both 
their attention to the remarks made, and their attend- 
ance upon the established ordinances of rehgion. 
But this charity is dictated by a regard to the welfare 
of this life, as well as of the life to come. The most 
common complaints are those which yield readily to 



SIAM. 



267 



our applications, but whose permanent cure baffles 
the skill of the natives, and resists the power of all 
their medicines. 

The following are a few extracts from the journal 
kept at the time. 

May 21st. — A busy day. Great numbers came for 
books — more than I remember ever to have seen 
before. They were principally Hainan men, from a 
vessel which is building in our neighbourhood. This 
afternoon I commenced visiting the China junks, to 
supply them with the Scriptures, and other religious 
books. Having a letter to the Captain of the port, 
who acts as interpreter between foreigners and the 
Prah Klang, I called at his house, and was informed 
that the King had commanded his officers to prohibit 
me from distributing the books which he heard I 
had brought with me. If we wanted to disseminate 
our religion," his Majesty remarked, *^ we must go 
I to some other country." Many considerations pre- 
vented a change in my plans, and, looking for wisdom" 
to Him in whose hand are the hearts of kings, 
I went from the interpreter's house to the great 
business on which I came forth. In four of the five 
junks visited, the books were well received. Occa- 
sionally I meet with those who are full of all kinds of 
suspicion, and with whom but little can be done. 
22d. — I arose early, and went on board of four 
; junks. In the first I met with a man who appeared 
I not only friendly, but acquainted, at least to some 

N 2 



268 



SIAM. 



extent, with the true God, and his redeeming Son. 
After a little conversation, he said that he was a Ke- 
leatan [Christian, according to his pronunciation] be- 
longing to the island of Hainan ^ — that there were 
three or four Padres, and about three thousand 
native Christians [Papists] on the island. It confirms 
the account that I had previously received, respecting 
the Catholics having retained a considerable footing 
there, when expelled from China. I gave him the 
Scriptures, and a number of other books, some of 
which he promised to carry to his friends of the same 
profession at home. From his unreserved manner, 
he could scarcely have suspected that there was any 
difference between me and his own priests, although 
he said, in reply to a question on the subject, that 
they did not distribute the Scriptures in the Chinese 
language* 

I have been again somewhat troubled with a con- 
firmation of yesterday's report. Mr. Silveira, having 
business with the acting Prah Klang, was informed 
that the King had really said the books must not be 
distributed in his kingdom. Mr. S. thinks, and with 
much reason, that the priests are taking the alarm f, 
and employing their influence with the King to pre- 

* A large island to the south of China, between 18 and 20 
degrees North Latitude, and 108 and 111 degrees East Longitude. 
It must not be confounded with the little island of Hainara, men- 
tioned p. 70. — Ed. 

f The King*s officers admitted that it did not interfere with his 
Majesty's command to supply the Chinese junks with books, 
though I neither promised nor intended to confine myself to them. 



SI AM. 



269 



vent their dovvnfal. I think I never enjoyed the 
Second Psahn so much as to-dav. 

June the 12th. — Since the last date I have been 
employed, early and late, in visiting about fifty junks. 
With a very few exceptions, the books have been 
thankfully received, and the instructions and exhor- 
tations, though often brief and feeble, have been 
heard with attention — I hope with profit. The employ- 
ment has sometimes been delightful. Every where a 
most hearty welcome w^as given, and at times the 
noisy, though respectful, salutation of the gong has 
been added. Often has it been cheering to witness 
the readiness w.th which the most important doc- 
trines of Christianity were comprehended, and ani- 
mating has been the assurance that our labour is not 
in vain in the Lord." Oh, how easy to the power of 
Omnipotence is the conversion of a fallen world ! 
This is our dependence- — here we rest ; and our con- 
stant and only aim should be to have Jehovah " make 
bare His arm "in this glorious work. 

June 25th. — My attention has been lately confined 
1 to in-door labours. Among the numerous patients 
were two most pitiable objects. One of them was 
speechless, and unable to walk, from paralysis ; but 
so sensitively ahve to his miserable condition, that 
he wept in anguish at the probability of never being 
restored. Even if relief v/as attainable by the eflScacy 
of medicine and the skill of the practitioner, they 
have not sufficient patience to be healed. Often have 



270 



SIAM. 



they come with inveterate diseases, and though they 
have been forewarned of the consequences of not 
repeating their calls, yet, from not being healed im- 
mediately, they have lost their faith in the remedy, 
and never applied again. 

The most trying circumstance of the past week, 
and one which has called forth many a sigh, is the 
conduct of the boy who had been with me for nearly 
a year, and who I hoped had passed from death 
unto life.'' He had been addicted to intemperance 
before he entered our service, but for a long time had 
appeared to be perfectly reformed. While at Singa- 
pore with me, he had to associate, in the family in^ 
which I lived, with a profligate fellow-servant, whom 
I have heard him warn against the evil consequences 
of dissipation, but who seduced him into the very 
crimes he had himself so solemnly condemned. 
Before I suspected the least misdemeanour, his con- 
duct had become so offensive to the public, that I 
was compelled to dismiss him immediately from my 
service. I know of nothing more painful to a mis- 
sionary's heart than an event of this kind. Those 
who have followed to the grave a cherished child — 
one who was their solace in loneliness, and their 
hope in coming years— may form some idea of this 
trial. But, no ! what is a bodily pang, a temporary 
separation, to spiritual, eternal wretchedness ! To 
see the rulers of darkness " re-capture those who 
we hoped had been wrested from their dominion, and 



SIAM. 



271 



to find the gloom of the second death closing upon 
those who we fondly believed had emerged into light ; 
produce, for the moment, something of the agony 
belonging to the destiny of the lost. 

July 7th. — Several circumstances have rendered 
this week one of more than ordinary interest. Among 
these was a visit for books from two men who had 
obtained some notion of the true God, and the 
questions of one of whom manifested a strong convic- 
tion of the credibility of the Christian religion. This 
poor man, when inquiring about the manner of Divine 
worship, was confounded at every step. To worship 
without images, pictures, or inscriptions of any kind ; 
without incense-sticks, offerings of eatables, or any 
of those rites with which every thing sacred is con- 
nected in his mind ; was more than he could readily 
digest. Some of them exhibit, when we talk to them, 
the wonder of children in hearing a marvellous tale. 
The great deceiver has persuaded them that the right 
exercise of the heart is a secondary and quite an un- 
important matter in sacred duties. 

Yesterday the man whom Mr.GutzlafF had baptized 
called for the first time. He had been absent to 
Cochin-China and China, and had discovered, from 
more than mere observation, that, notwithstanding 
the similarity of name, our doctrines and those of the 
Roman Catholics were very different. He said they 
would not acknowledge him in Amoy, although he 
confessed himself a disciple of Jesus, and shewed his 



272 



STAM. 



credentials. That idol which they adored, and the 
strange, unintelligible mode of their worship, were 
quite as offensive to him, as his knowledge of the 
Saviour, and ignorance of their abominations, were 
to them. 

I have been visited three or four times, by two 
of the interesting Chinese spoken of in a previous 
part of this journal. They came expressly for Di- 
vine worship, and would repeat their visits more 
frequently, were it not for the distance of their re- 
sidence from us. This morning they brought an ac- 
quaintance with them, who had some knowledge of 
the books, and who cheerfully engaged with us in our 
usual service. Our friends had been rather before-hand 
in their reckoning, having mistaken this day (Satur- 
day) for the Sabbath. The elder, besides his other 
good qualities, is the personification of Chinese polite- 
ness : the other is too modest and retiring to exhibit 
what his kind heart dictates. 

17th.— Passing down the river yesterday evening, 
we saw a knot of persons assembled, in two or three 
places, attending to the discourses of the priests. At 
one of the houses where we stopped for a few moments, 
an old, spectacled Talapoin was seated on a platform 
preaching to an assembly, chiefly of women, who 
listened in the reverential posture of Siam, — sitting 
with their feet concealed, and their hands raised to 
the level of their faces. The dull monotony of the 
old man's chaunt is usually relieved by a timely inter- 



SIAM. 



273 



lude of music, but we did not stop to witness this 
part of the performance. 

The present month is the commencement of the 
Prassah, which lasts for three successive months, being 
the longest sacred season in the year. It is observed in 
commemoration of the time that Somnahkodom ^, 
the last incarnation of Buddh, disappeared from this 
world. They say that he left three impressions of his 
feet on earth^ — one in Siam, another in Burmah, and 
a third in Ceylon. Pilgrimages are frequently made 
to the vestige visible in the hill-country of Siam ; and 
are considered to be as meritorious by these idolaters, 
as is a visit to the holy city of the Jews, the Mahomme- 
dans, or the Catholics, by their respective devotees* 

During this protracted season the priests are kept 
most busily engaged. Every day there is service at 
the palace, at the mansions of many of the principal 
men in the kingdom, and frequently at the houses 
of the common people. This service is kept up 
at the palace throughout the year. The night which 
closes the Prassah is a season of many cereaionies, 
and much noise. Guns are fired from the forts sur- 
rounding the city, at short intervals, until morning, 
after which, for a long time, lamps are suspended 
upon high poles by all who can afford the expense. 

* According to tradition, the brother of Somnahkodom, a great 
malefactor, was crucified for his crimes. I have been asked whe- 
ther be and Jesus were not the same. The devil would no doubt 
have it believed, according to similar attempts (e. g. the Philippian 
damsel), that Christ and this iufamous character were one. 

N 5 



274 



SIAM. 



The object of the noise is to frighten away tliie'evil 
spirits from these precincts — the lights are topreven|; 
the return of these dreaded genii. 

Other means are employed by the priests for the 
same purpose. They often surround a place, from 
which they wish to dgfear their invisible enemies, with 
a thread, which their incantatory powers can, they 
imagine, render an impassable barrier. The whole 
walled city is thus guarded. Even human bodies are 
believed to be secured from demoniacal possession by 
the same means. Similar methods are employed by 
the priests in taking alligators, when they appear in 
the river ; and, according to the uniform testimony of 
spectators, they generally prove successful. In state- 
ments of this kind, and many others equally incredible, 
I have been at a loss what to believe. If the priests 
are not assisted by the spirits whom they profess to 
controul, they must possess all their power, or they 
never could impose upon such a variety of witnesses. 

Before we reached home, my ears were shocked 
by an oath in English from one of the heathen boys 
who was assisting to propel the boat. It was the 
only phrase he uttered in that language, and in all 
probability the only one he knew. It reminded me of 
a similar expression, which I had heard from one of 
another nation, residing in Siam, and who possessed 
no other acquaintance with the English tongue 
than this offensive sentence. The language of curs- 
ing, and the habit of brandy drinking, are consi- 



SIAM. 



275 



dered in many heathen nations as characteristics of 
Christians''^. 

31st. — Yesterday afternoon the prince Choic Fah f 
sent for me to dine at his house. The message was 
conveyed in such a manner as to admit of no refusal, 
although it was raining at the time, and likely to con- 
tinue doing so. We are often obliged to gratify the 
princes contrary to our inclinations, that we may secure 
their favour, and be better enabled to benefit them and 
their nation. The entertainment was in the European 
style, and consisted of a variety of dishes. He did 
not partake with us, it being the custom of the 
princes to eat alone — but apologized, by saying that 
he had dined already. 

After dinner he amused us with music upon some 
of their native instruments, being himself an amateur, 
and aided by the vocal strains of one of his attend- 
ants. As was before mentioned, there is a striking 
contrast, between the musical powers of the Chinese 
and Siamese altogether in favour of the talent and 
taste of the latter. Their instruments are much more 
melodious, and their voices softer and more natural. 
They usually employ two percussion instruments, 
borrowed probably from the Javanese. These are both 
on the principle of the harmonica : one of them being 



* Bruce met with a person in the interior of Abyssinia who had 
picked up a few words of English, and those the vilest in the lan- 
guage. 

f " Lord of heaven." 



276 



SIAM. 



made of transverse pieces of bamboo suspended by 
strings upon a small shallop frame-work ; the other 
consisting of a number of hollow copper vessels of dif- 
ferent sizes hung upon a circular frame. Their sweet- 
est wind-instruments are borrowed from the Laos. 
They are made of a number of reeds of unequal lengths 
put together, and perforated so as to give the necessary 
distinction of notes. The prince performs with much 
taste on this instrument. The more we see of this 
young man, the more are we struck with the variety 
of his talents. Oh that the Saviour would verify in 
his case that prediction and promise, " Kings shall 
see and arise, princes also shall worship !" 

September 2d. — Our little worshipping assembly 
has just dispersed. About twenty were present. 
It is so affecting to have a company of poor Pagans 
assemble on the Lord's day, to hear the doctrines of 
the Gospel, and to bow the knee to their great 
Author, that I can scarcely endure the thought of 
leaving them, and am at times uncertain whether 
even measures for self-preservation ought not to yield 
to the claims of a whole kingdom. I must, however, 
remember, that if the first be necessary, the other 
must in any case be abandoned. ''The harvest truly 
is great, but the labourers are few." 

Two circumstances, which have recently occurred, 
are likely to promote the objects of the mission. 
They have been constructing a brick foot-path 
between our premises and the Chinese settlement. 



SI AM. 



277 



The way was almost impassable before, even to the 
bare-footed Peripatetics. It is now made of materials, 
and in a manner, which will probably surmount the 
heis^ht of the annual flood, and resist the action of 
its waters. Though a miserable place to walk upon for 
exercise, on account of the narrowness of the way, 
the crowd of passengers, and, what is worst of all, 
the number and annoyance of the dogs, yet it is the 
only alternative, during the greater part of the year, 
to remaining within our own little enclosure, and it is 
essential to the prosecution of those external duties 
which ought not to be neglected in this mission. Its 
chief advantage, however, is the facility with which 
visitors, patients, and worshippers, can come to the 
house. 

The other circumstance is an ao-reement entered 
into with Chow Fah, which affords to me advan- 
tages for the acquisition of the language, and 
opens a door for instructing him. Every second day 
he sends for me to come and teach him English, and 
the alternate day he sends a teacher to instruct 
me in Siamese. Want of health prevents me from 
availing myself of the benefits of the arranaement 
except in a limited measure, and I am sorry to 
find that want of inclination, or fear, debars him from 
the full advantages of that information which I am 
chiefly anxious to impart. He bids fair for the throne, 
and is perhaps afraid of any thing which might 
render his success doubtful. He hears much, how- 
ever, in the way of circumlocution. In fact, I am only 



278 



SIAM. 



withheld from the plainest, most pointed conversation, 
by the apprehension of defeating my own object; 
and when there are sufficient grounds for dismissing 
this apprehension, the effort, in the Lord's strength, 
shall be made. Still I very much fear that an im- 
perfect knowledge of his language renders all my 
instructions comparatively unavailing. 

13th. — To-day Mr. Hunter sent for us, to witness 
a sight which has attracted much attention in Siam, 
and would be considered equally strange in more 
enlightened countries. It was a young child sporting 
in the water as in its native element, with all the 
buoyancy and playfulness of a fish. Its evolutions 
are astonishing — sometimes rolling over, with a rapid 
motion, and apparently no exertion ; then turning 
round hke a hoop, by bending its face under, as it 
lies on its back, and throwing its feet over its head. 
It floats like a cork, with no apparent motion of any 
of the muscles ; occasionally allows itself to sink until 
only the half of its head is seen ; dives ; holds its 
face under water long enough to alarm those who are 
ignorant of its powers ; and yet appears to breathe as 
easily as though it had suffered no suspension of 
respiration. It is evidently delighted with the 
exercise ; evinces no fatigue, nor the least apprehen- 
sion, and often cries when taken up. It is a singular 
object, both in the water and out of it. It is three 
years old, very small, can neither speak nor walk, is 
very defective in sight, will take no food but its 
earliest provision — in fact, appears quite idiotic — and 



SIAM. 



279 



has exhibited the same fondness for the water, and 
peculiar feats in it, from the first time that it was 
tried, when only a year old. 

24th. — A governor of one of the Malayan districts 
has been charged with oppressing the people for his 
own aggrandizement. Not satisfied with punishing 
the guilty, they have seized his wife, children, and 
relatives, and doomed them all to slavery and chains 
for life. This case of unrighteous dealing is by no 
means singular. The Siamese have lately been en- 
gaged in a war with some of the Malay tribes in the 
Peninsula, and, owing to their superiority in numbers 
and equipments, have conquered their enemies and 
plundered the country. It is said that as many as 
five thousand prisoners — families, as well as fathers 
— have been sent as slaves to Siam. I visited a com- 
pany of them to-day, and was shocked at their con- 
dition : young and old, high and low, were huddled 
together like swine ; filthy, diseased, some of them 
extremely ill, destitute of nourishment, medicine, and 
care. They were serving out a coarse kind of rice to 
them, by a careful and parsimonious measurement, 
without allowing them any seasoning to give it a 
relish, or even fuel to cook it. 

25th. — My visits to the prince have been suspended 
for some time, on account of the death of an aunt who 
was living with him. On these occasions all the 
servants and subjects are obhged to have their heads 
shaved. To-day he took me to see the style in which 



280 



SIAM. 



the body is preserved, and witness some of the cere* 
monies preparatory to its being burned. It is par- 
tially embalmed ; in a sitting posture ; with the feet 
drawn up, and the elbows between the knees. The 
shrine, or case in which it is preserved, is constructed 
Hke a pyramid, and decked with canopies and other 
ornaments. The priests were present, and had been 
repeating their prayers in a funereal tone of voice. At 
six in the evening twenty-four drums were beat, and 
trumpets blown — to frighten away the evil spirits, as I 
suggested, in the way of interrogation ; but from mere 
custom, as my quick-sighted informant replied. He 
admitted, however, that they did believe they could 
drive away evil spirits ; though guns, and not drums, 
were the proper instruments. 

Their superstition with respect to these demons is 
extreme. He declares that they are frequently seen 
and heard and felt, inflicting deadly diseases upon 
persons. They have even the power, as he and the 
whole nation suppose, of introducing into the body 
substances too large and hard to be digested. You 
hear a noise generally upon the wall where you are 
sleeping. If you start and inquire the cause, the 
object is immediately introduced through the mouth ; 
if you lie still and maintain silence, they cannot ad- 
minister the fatal dose." This art is also ascribed to 
men, who by their magic can reduce pieces of leather 
and other substances to an almost imperceptible size, 
and, after being combined with food or medicine, 



SIAM. 



281 



and swallowed, can make them return to their original 
form. This they declare has been satisfactorily 
proved by a post-mortem examination. I have 
heard the same from the Chinese, who stand in dread 
of many of the Siamese, believing that they can en- 
gage malicious spirits on tlieir errands of death, and 
that they often do so to avenge a private animosity, 
or to gain other objects. Very recently the brother 
of the Prah Klang, who frequently took his place in 
comnaercial transactions with foreigners, died. We 
all suspected, from the slightness of the indisposition, 
and the suddenness of the death, that it must have 
been occasioned by ignorance or design in the native 
doctors. When the body was burnt, those who were 
present testified that a large piece of flesh was found 
unconsumed in the fire, which they knew must have 
produced his decease. This flesh was taken, dis- 
tributed among the relatives, and eaten, under the 
impression that none who have employed this pre- 
ventive can ever be destroyed by the same means. 
Among other witnesses, a little artless lad, son of the 
Prah Klang, told my friend Mr. Hunter of this fact, 
and exhibited strong feelings of disgust when he 
declared that they had made him eat part of the flesh. 
The priests, it is said, by much praying have the 
controul of these spirits, or at least are beyond their 
controul, which furnishes a probable clue to the origin 
and object of the superstition. 

October 2d. — Yesterday and to-day I have been 



282 



SIAM. 



visiting the Malay captives. The place was the same 
as before, but the company was different, and their 
numbers increased. It is quite sickening to witness 
their misery. Some of them had died ; others were | 
apparently in the last stage of existence ; multitudes ' 
were ill, none of whom had comforts adapted to their 
wants ; and many of them, especially the children, 
exhibited such a painful expression of countenance 
as made the heart bleed. We supplied some of them 
with mats to keep them from lying on the cold 
ground. I was happy to learn that their measure of 
rice, though of the most inferior quality, had been 
enlarged, and a little dried fish added to their allow- 
ance ; but, oh, what a fare for the emaciated bodies 
and squeamish appetites of the diseased ! 

To-day I took such medicines as I thought might 
be serviceable, but was disappointed to find that 
the greater part of yesterday's company had been 
removed. Among the objects of pity was a mother, » 
whose child had been torn from her, and was about 
to be sent to a distant part of the kingdom. She 
was almost frantic ; sometimes falHng on her knees 
before those who had the management of the business, 
begging them to restore her child ; then running to 
the boat which they were pushing from the shore, 
and crying out after the object of her affections, in 
the most impassioned manner. No notice was taken 
of her ; the boat moved off, and she was left to the 
painfulness of, in all probability, an eternal separation. 



SIAM. 



283 



We asked those to whom the poor woman appealed 
for pity, why they did not attend to her. They 
replied, that they had received their orders, and were 
afraid to disobey them. 

October 7th. — To-day our number exceeded twenty 
by one or two. In the evening the priest called, 
and returned three volumes of the word of God, 
which he had taken to copy. Not knowing whether I 
should ever have another opportunity for private con- 
versation with him, and feeling a strong interest in 
his eternal welfare, I spoke as freely as I could on the 
importance of having the heart interested in those 
truths which he had taken some pains to learn. I 
mentioned that his was the simple knowledge of the 
head, which could be of no avail toward his salvation, 
as long as the affections were unmoved, and his 
idolatry retained. By a word or two, and a very 
significant gesture, he made me to understand that 
the fear of decapitation was the great preventive to a 
change of faith. I told him what the Saviour said to 
his disciples, about not fearing those who could only 
kill the body, and that thousands, for the love of 
Jesus and eternal life, had been transported on fiery 
chariots to heaven. 

His case reminds one of the priests in the Saviour's 
day, who, it is said, believed, but did not confess 
him openly, for the same reason. I think there 
is little doubt that if a change of circumstances 
should dissipate these fears, he would be among the 



284 



SIAM. 



first in the kingdom to embrace Christianity. Alas 
that such a change of circumstances should be at all 
necessary ! 

14th. — Since the commencement of our Sabbath 
service I have never seen such fixed and thought- 
ful attention as vyras apparent towards the close 
of this morning's exhortation. The Spirit of the 
living Saviour was doubtless in our midst, and the 
hearts of many, I sincerely believe, felt His sacred 
presence. Again the sadness of separation came over 
my spirit, and again I commended this little band 
to the Shepherd and Bishop of souls." The more 
we labour for the heathen, the more do we see the ne- 
cessity of labouring with our own hearts. It is diffi- 
cult to say which is the most painful, to toil with no 
encouragement, or to leave unaccomplished the most 
encouraging labours. If there w^ere others to take 
the place of those who are compelled to retire ; or if 
the flock from whom their pastor is removed had 
attained to strength ; the trial would be comparatively 
light. To labour with patience, perseverance, expecta- 
tion, and prayer, is not sufficient for the comfort of the 
instrument ; he must learn to have his spirit so attuned 
that the animating strain ^' I can do all things through 
Christ, which strengtheneth me,'^ may allow of the 
interlude, Not my will, but thine, be done." 

During the past week I have supplied the Burman 
camp with tracts in their own language. The books 
were well received both by priests and people. 



SIAM. 



285 



24th. — I have been informed, upon good authority, 
that the Roman Cathohcs in China have been rein- 
forced this year by a bishop and four missionaries ; 
and in Siam by one missionary. The Viceroy of Sai- 
gon, in Cochin-China, who was very favourable to the 
Roman Cathohc rehgion, and a man of vast power in 
the kingdom, has lately died^ which has produced 
such apprehensions among the priests with respect to 
their safety, that they have begged the Bishop of Siam 
to offer up public prayers for their preservation*. 
The same authority states the number of Christians 
in Corea to be about ten thousand. They have no 
European priests, but are supplied by natives from 
China, A bishop and several missionaries are about 
to be appomted. 

The most prevalent languages employed by the na- 
tives and foreign residents at Siam, are the Siamese 
and Chinese. The spoken language of the Siamese 
is simple and nervous ; the written, quite the reverse. 
Like the Chinese, there is a great deal of tone in their 
ordinary pronunciation, but, unlike many dialects of 
that lano-uao-e, the sense is not determined by the ac- 
cent. These modulations of voice are heard more 
distinctly in reading, when you perceive that there 
are three keys, a number of notes apart, through 
which they pass by rules which I believe custom 
alone regulates, and teaches with great precision. In 



They have since suffered severe persecution. 



286 



SIAM. 



books, they are exceedingly fond of epithets, turgid 
phrases, and a certain correspondence of sound in 
words and members of sentences. The object of 
language is often entirely forgotten. Instead of being 
regarded as the vehicle of thought, they appear to 
consider it as superior to all sentiment, often multi- 
plying expressions without the least additional force 
or variation to the ideas. The majority of their books 
contain little besides this pompous display of verbiage. 
A number of works have been written in the Siamese 
language : some of them treat of anatomy, medicine, 
law, and other sciences ; but a large proportion are 
novels and fables, as full of absurdities and puerilities, 
as the former are destitute of truth and utiUty. There 
is scarcely any difference in the mode of speaking the 
language throughout the kingdom : the tones vary 
a little, but so little that all understand each other 
with perfect facility. 

The Bali, or Pali, is the sacred tongue of Buddh, 
and is studied by the priests. Many Pali words are 
introduced in their writings. The court language is 
chiefly Cambodjian. The first legislator was from 
Cambodjia, and, though he lived nearly twelve cen- 
turies ago, the language remains unchanged. The 
common era of Siam is the commencement of his 
political career. 

The language of Cambodjia is very different from 
the Siamese. The Cambodjians employ the Pali 
character in their moral writings, but have another for 



SIAM. 



287 



ordinary subjects. The Laos appears more a dialect 
of the Siamese than a distinct tongue, though the 
characters of the two languages are somewhat dif- 
ferent. Between the Burmese and Siamese there is 
scarcely any resemblance. 

The most common colloquial dialect of the Chi- 
nese in Siam is the Tay-chew, or Teo-chew. It 
resembles the Fokien dialect more than any other, but 
still differs so much from it, both in phrases and 
accent, that, without a mutual understanding, there 
can be but little intercourse between the natives of 
the two places. There is not the same fulness and 
distinctness of sound in the Tay-chew dialect as in 
the other. The consequence is, that it is more diffi- 
cult to acquire, and especially to employ so as to be 
inteUigible to the natives. This may be owing, 
however, to the great want of uniformity among 
themselves; as also to the fact that they are poorer 
and less instructed than the inhabitants of Fokien, 
and, consequently, if you do not happen to strike the 
very term and tone which they employ, they have no 
means of gathering your idea. 

There is nothing in a missionary's labour which 
tries his patience and power of application so much 
as these difficult and different languages. No effort 
of genius can overcome the obstacles which he con- 
tinually meets with. There is, it is true, a talent for 
languages, which gives immense advantages to those 
who possess it, but the acquisition of the Chinese 



288 siAM. 

depends upon a close imitation of writings which 
scarcely be said to be governed by any principles, 
and in which the idiom is totally different from any 
thing known or employed among western nations. 
First, a knowledge of the character must be acquired, 
and then you must pore over the books in which these 
numerous characters are employed, until you perceive 
how they are combined to convey different ideas. 
The man who has the most extensive acquaintance 
with their classical and historical works, who can 
servilely imitate their style, and liberally quote their 
sentiments, is the literary man in China, and of 
course the one best calculated to influence and con- 
troul the mind of the empire. It is the untiring exer- 
tion required in mastering these difficulties, together 
with the effects of a climate unfavourable to close 
mental application, which has injured the health of 
the greater number of those who have devoted them - 
selves to this mission. This fact, however, should 
not discourage any who feel it to be their duty to con- 
secrate their lives to the salvation of these nations. 
The chief difficulties belong rather to the literature 
of the language, than to a knowledge of it sufficient 
for useful purposes. The colloquial dialects, though 
they all require attention, may yet be obtained with- 
out injury to the health, and without that apphcation 
of mind which is necessary for literary purposes. To 
live with them, or have them live with you — to talk, 
though you blunder — to question, though you cannot 



SI AM. 



289 



understand the answer — to repeat or even write down 
what you hear, and inquire about what you are igno- 
rant of — to dismiss all pride, all diffidence, and to lay 
every man and every thing under contribution to your 
object — this is the best way to study languages, and a 
way which confines no one to his desk. It is an im- 
portant rule, never to be ashamed of your ignorance, 
nor backward to ask even about what you ought to 
know ; and no plan have I found so profitable as 
employing the pencil in catching words and sentences 
from the lips of those who are talking, and then, if it 
seems too unreasonable to make the man his own in- 
terpreter, to defer the inquiry to a future period. I 
have known one or two ladies whose health was deli- 
cate, who had yet made themselves such proficients 
in Chinese, that they could converse on all subjects, 
and read and explain Christian books with facility ^. 
Still there is no other language in the East, probably 
no other in the world, so difiicult to be completely 
acquired as the Chinese. The Siamese, especially 
the spoken language, is by no means appalling. The 
Malayan, employed in the Straits and throughout the 
islands, is simplicity itself. It is doubtful whether 
there is another language in the world which can be 
so quickly understood and employed by foreigners of 
all nations. 

November 4th. — In the expectation of leaving tlie 

♦ Being familiar with the subjects, these books are more easily 
comprehended by us than their own. 

O 



290 SI AM. 

place before this day, I h'ad made arrangements for 
those who were disposed to continue the Sabbath ser- 
vices, to meet in future in the same place and at the 
same hour. All whom I had any reason to expect 
came, and these brought others with them, so that the 
number was as great as usual. Having, in the pre- 
sence of all, mentioned the person by whom I desired 
that the exercises should be chiefly conducted, I re- 
signed the office to him, and sat as a listener. The 
audience were very silent and attentive, and the ex- 
pounder animated and happy in his views and illus- 
trations. It was very evident to me, that, exclusive 
of the obligations which would probably bind a greater 
number to me than to the substitute or to their own 
best interests, the change is in many most important 
respects desirable. In power of language he has 
greatly the advantage — at least in his own dialect, 
which is more familiar to the others, and less so to my- 
self, than the Fokien. His knowledge is extensive — 
the result evidently of much reading, and I hope of 
spiritual illumination. Besides, he knows their 
modes of thinking and reasoning on moral subjects, 
and the objections they entertain against Chris- 
tianity, which have been often urged against his faith, 
but which they are more backward to express in my 
presence ^. 

* In a communication from Mr. Jones, the Baptist missionary 
who arrived shortly after I left the country, he mentions, under 
date of September 22d, 1833, that this little assembly continue 



siam. 



291 



It was my intention, before leaving Siam, to have 
I visited other parts of the kingdom. Juthia, the an- 
cient capital, and Chantibun, situated on the coast 
, towards Cochin-China, are places containing a large 
population, and presenting many facilities for mis- 
sionary labour. I have frequently conversed with 
those who were acquainted with these parts of the 
country, and, from all that I could gather, they ap- 
peared to be inviting and important spheres for Chris- 
tian exertion. At Juthia, probably at Chantibun 
also, the Roman Catholics have missionaries. It 
might be a little difficult at first to obtain access to 
these places, as the Siamese resemble some of their 
neighbours in jealousy and timidity; but time would 
no doubt soon remove their suspicions, and open the 
way to every part of the kingdom. 

their worship, and that twenty were present on the preceding 
Sabbath. In another ieUer, dated December of the same year, he 
says, " Our little assembly of Chinese still continues, conducted by 
Bunty, as usual. We have for some months had as good evidence 
as I could expect, that two or three of his associates were true con- 
verts, but, ovving to my ignorance of their language, and their slight 
acquaintance with Siamese, I had hitherto declined their repeated 
solicitations for baptism. At length circumstances were such that 
I did not feel at liberty to decline any longer, and on Sabbath 
morning, the 8th inst,, 1 administered the rite to Chek Bunty, 
Chek Peng, and Chek Seang-seah.^' 



O 2 



292 



CHAPTER XIIL 

PASSAGE FROM SIAM, 

On Monday morning, November 5th, Mr. Hunter 
called for me in a barge, and took me to the schooner 
in which I was going to Singapore, and which was 
lying outside the bar. The schooner was chartered 
by him, and to his influence, and the kindness of 
Captain Norris, I was again indebted for a passage 
without expense. The vessel was less than a hundred 
tons in burden, and four of us were obliged to stow 
aw^ay in a very small cabin. Nothing peculiar oc- 
curred on the passage, except that we were near 
getting on a lee shore, through the inattention of the 
helmsman. Supposing that we were running in a line 
with the Peninsula, we descried land immediately 
before us, and were obliged to beat some time against 
a head sea, before we felt it safe to bear away. Had 
the wind been powerful, and the sea high, or had we 
not enjoyed the advantages of day-light, the result 
would probably have been different. 

November 23d. — I visited a Borneo proa, in com- 
pany with Mr. Thomsen, to obtain information 
respecting that island, and to distribute books. The 



RHIO. 



293 



principal man, with whom we conversed, was very 
intelligent and communicative. He belonged to Ben- 
jar-Massin, about which place and the other Dutch 
settlements. Sambas and Pontiana, he seemed to 
possess much knowledge. He represents the Dyaks 
residing near the settlements, and in the interior, as 
exceedingly numerous. Formerly they were all very 
ferocious; but the character of many of them has 
been in a measure meliorated by intercourse with 
foreigners, and perhaps by some little sense of fear, 
as well as of the profit resulting from this con- 
nexion. This applies principally, if not exclusively, 
to those who reside near the station. He says there 
are thousands of Chinese in the vicinity of the mines 
which abound in the interior — a fact fully confirmed 
by Europeans who have visited these places. 

On Wednesday, November 28th, Mr. Thomsen 
and myself left Singapore for Rhio in the ship Dedie- 
rika, Captain Townsend, who went out of his way to 
accommodate us, and would receive nothing for our 
passage. Owing to calms, we were nearly three 
days in accomplishing what we expected to perform 
in twenty-four hours. Our object was to visit Mr* 
Wenting, the Dutch missionary, and to distribute 
books among the Malays and Chinese. We found a 
few thousand of each residing in Rhio and the 
neighbourhood. 

Mr. W. occupies a small island by himself, which, 
with others in the vicinity, was formerly infested by 



294 



RHIO» 



pirates. It was given by the Dutch authorities to the 
Netherlands Society, on condition that their mis- 
sionaries should make it their abode* The house is 
situated upon its highest eminence, commanding an 
enchanting prospect, and exposed to every cooling 
breeze. The islet contains between one and two 
hundred acres of land. Besides the variety of its own 
surface, chequered with lofty trees and native dwell- 
ings, the touches of culture, and the wildness of the 
jungle, you behold stretching beyond it an expanse 
of water, bounded on the whole horizontal range, 
with the exception of one opening, by numerous 
islands — here retiring behind each other, so as to 
disclose merely their promontories ; and there stretch- 
ing in bold continuity to an immense extent ; in some 
places so near that almost every object may be 
defined, and in others so distant that you can discern 
nothing but their azure outline. About eight miles 
off appears the small town of Rhio, with its few 
European buildings and hill-crowned fort ; on one 
side of which is a Chinese settlement, on the other a 
Malay campong, and in front, the harbour with ships 
and native proas. The only part of the horizon not 
bounded by hills, is the usual passage through which 
vessels enter and leave the harbour of Rhio, and pass 
and repass from Batavia, Singapore, and other places 
among these islands. 

On the island there are about thirty Malays, whom 
Mr. Wenting teaches in a little airy chapel built on 



SINGAPORE. 296 

another hill. We spent our time chiefly at Rhio, 
and were very hospitably entertained by one of the 
Dutch military officers. From the hill at Rhio, 
where the Europeans reside, the prospect is nearly 
equal to the one described. Among the peculiarities 
of the vegetable kingdom, we found the sensitive 
plant running wild upon the hills. A sweep of the 
hand or foot among its luxuriant tendrils scattered 
apparent death around ; but a few moments shewed 
it to be merely apparent, for life and beauty were 
soon restored. We returned to Singapore in one of 
the small Government vessels, manned with natives, 
and fitted up to guard the sea from pirates. 

January 18th, 1833. — Yesterday, at half past nine 
in the morning, I had the mournful satisfaction of 
witnessing the departure of my beloved Christian 
brother, the Rev. Robert Burn, chaplain of Singa- 
pore. I feel thankful to have had the privilege of 
attending his sick bed for about a month and a half, 
and of receiving and endeavouring to communicate 
such lessons as fit the dying to depart in peace, and 
the surviving to live with profit. 

Mr. Burn was an ornament to the ministry. In 
him were united some of the rarest qualities of intel- 
lect and heart. In the private circle and in the pulpit 
he often manifested such eflforts of genius and judg- 
ment as are seldom combined. His views of Divine 
truth were uncommonly expansive and consistent; 
and what gave them a double charm and impressive- 



296 



SINGAPORE. 



ness, was the tenderness and^iumility of spirit which 
they had produced in himself. His judgment was 
too unbiassed, and his experience too comprehensive, 
to consider as important those trifling points which 
divide into parties the Christian church. He had his 
peculiar views and predilections, but in his intercourse 
with those of other sects they were never obtruded, 
and in his ordinary conversation they were seldom 
mentioned. Wherever he saw the image of Jesus, he 
acknowledged a brother. Missionaries of every name, 
and from every country, were welcomed to his house ; 
and while he gladly co-operated with them in their 
missionary labours, he availed himself of all their 
aid in his own sphere of duty. Such Christian 
magnanimity how rare! " and yet how conducive to 
the interests of all parties — the salvation of a world — 
the glory of an undivided Saviour ! 

But there was another peculiarity in this beloved 
brother, which not only won the hearts of all who 
knew him, but perhaps more than any thing else im- 
proved those other traits of character in which he 
excelled. He was not simply an Apollos in the Scrip- 
tures, but an Israel in prayer. Before I had the 
pleasure of his acquaintance, he was described to me 
as one who appeared ready under all circumstances 
to fall upon his knees before God ; " and the first 
time, and the last, and every time, I heard him give 
utterance to the sanctified impressions and desires 
of his own heart, it exceeded every expectation I had 



SINGAPORE. 



297 



formed. Such a fervour and confidence of spirit; such 
power in employing the arguments which a covenant 
God has furnished, and which He cannot resist ; such 
a tender concern for all his friends, his scattered 
brethren in Christ, and his perishing fellow-sinners in 
every place ; I believe is rarely exhibited — scarcely 
ever surpassed. The admiration of all who ever heard 
him pray, is uniform. God grant that many such 
spiritual wrestlers may adorn and bless the church ! 

In his own estiuiation he was below all things — 
none so unqualified for his ofiice, so unfaithful in the 
discharge of its responsible duties. He could weep 
and tremble when this was the theme, and wish that 
he might escape from the station he so miserably 
filled, and shrink away into his beloved retirement — 
an unknown obscurity. This was well, as far as it 
respected its influence on his own spirit ; but it evi- 
dently limited his usefulness. That which he most 
deplored upon his bed of death was the singular 
aversion, which he had felt from infancy, to mingle 
in society, or be made at all conspicuous. I never 
knew such difiidence connected with such powers of 
intellect. He was almost paralyzed at confronting 
those with whom he was not intimate, and in propor- 
tion to the part he was expected to sustain in their 
presence. This characteristic, though springing from 
humihty, proved a detriment to his extensive 
usefulness. 

o 5 



298 



SINGAPORE. 



It was our earnest desire, and not without some 
grounds of expectation, that this sickness might not 
be unto death, but for the glory of God, in the emi- 
nent devotion of His servant's future course. Many, 
attacked by the same complaint, and under the same 
treatment, had recovered ; and it was not until he 
sunk under a severe collapse, that the thought of 
dying was admitted with any seriousness to our 
minds. We were much together, both waiting for 
the first favourable opportunity to embark for Eng- 
land. The evening of the sudden change which 
decided in our minds his earthly destiny, I was with 
him until a late hour. We engaged in devotion as 
usual, and separated for the night without the 
least expectation of his near departure. The next 
morning the news came that he had passed a night 
of extreme illness, and would probably not survive 
the day. Agonized by the unlooked-for change, I 
hastened to his bed-side ; but though he recognised 
me, and expressed his full knowledge of his approach- 
ing end, his mind soon lost its balance. At first he 
was agitated. It was a midnight summons, and we 
were all slumbering ; but when he trimmed his lamp, 
and found his vessel replenished — nay, when he 
looked up, and beheld the Bridegroom — he recovered 
from the shock, and became composed. From this 
change, which preceded his departure about three 
days, he was generally in a state of delirium, and con- 



SINGAPORE. 



299 



tinued unconscious of his situation, until his spirit 
was released from its prison, and admitted into the 
joy of his Lord/' 

Eternity probably never appeared so much a 
reality, a present reality — never did the glories of 
heaven so powerfully possess the minds of the few 
who stood around this departing brother— as at the 
moment when we believed he aw^oke from utter un- 
consciousness to the enjoyment of his Saviour's 
perfect likeness and fruition. Oh how solemn was 
the place ! We felt that the King of Saints and his 
ministering angels were with us ; and as we com- 
mitted the spirit in silence to the favour of its cove- 
nant God, a thrill of rapture chased away the anguish 
with which we had been oppressed. One of our 
number was the bereaved companion whom he held 
most dear in life, and whose delicate frame and sensi- 
tive heart were wonderfully sustained in this hour of 
overpowering sadness, and overpowering joy. Another 
was a friend ^ who had ministered most kindly to his 
wants, and from beneath whose hospitable roof he 
took his heaven-w^ard flight, God grant that we 
may all live under the impressions of that hour- 
then shall we not live in vain. 

Mr. Burn was the son of Major-General Andrew 
Burn, whose interesting Memoirs are before the 
Christian public. Besides his afflicted widow, he has 



* T. Oxley, Esq., surgeon of the station. 



300 



SINGAPORE. 



left a brother in the ministry, and six sisters, to mourn 
their loss, though they can all rejoice in his gain. 
Like Henry Martyn, his chief inducement in accept- 
ing a chaplaincy to the East was the desire of use- 
fulness among the heathen. He had a considerable 
acquaintance with two of the languages of the 
country, and wrote several Christian works in one of 
them. May his example stimulate many, who occupy 
similar stations in India, and beyond the Ganges, 
and whose influence and exertions are much needed 
for the conversion of the heathen nations ^. 

May 20th. — During the illness of Mr. Burn, and 
after his decease, my health was sufficiently strong 
to admit of my occupying his place in the duties of 
the chaplaincy. Such was the beneficial influence 
of the change of place upon my constitution, and 
such the effect of the preached word, that I decided 
on deferring my departure, until I should see whether 
it was absolutely necessary to leave these scenes of 
labour, and diminish still more the small number of 
missionaries in the field. The trial of parting with 
friends and country is great, but the necessity of 
leaving the heathen world, where millions are perish- 
ing without instruction, especially when at all qua- 

* The inhabitants of Malacca (writes a friend of Mr. Burn) 
must long remember him with affection. Whenever his minis- 
terial duties called him to that station^ he never failed to address 
them publicly once or twice a week. He w^as also a liberal sup- 
porter of the schools. From the time they were first established 
until the Lord was pleased to take him to his rest, he annually set 
apart between sixty and seventy pounds for their support. — Ed. 



SINGAPORE. 



301 



lified for usefulness^ is much more painful to him 
whose heart is fully interested in his work. 

In the discharge of the duties of the chaplaincy* 
the study of languages, and some external labours 
among the Chinese, my time was occupied for four or 
five months. I attempted to supply every Chinese 
family in the place with Christian books ; but, while 
engaged in the task, my health again yielded to the 
influence of the climate, and I was obliged to leave 
half, perhaps two-thirds, of the work unaccomplished. 
A change of air and scene within the tropics may 
prove useful to an invalid, but it rarely restores a 
debihtated constitution, and generally loses all its 
influence after a season. 

During my residence at Singapore I became ac- 
quainted with nearly all the European families in the 
place, and received from many of them the most 
polite and kind attentions. Especially was I in- 
debted to Mr. and Mrs. Thomsen, of the mission 
family ; and Messrs. Oxley and Diggles, under v/hose 
hospitable roof I spent the greater part of my time. 
I was not only the guest but the patient of the former 
gentleman, and received at his hands the greatest 
benefits^. 

* Many changes have occurred at Singapore since I first visited 
the place : the death of Mr. Burn ; the marriage of Miss Martyn^ 
by which the Chinese schools have suffered an irreparable loss, at 
at least for some time ; and very recently the removal of Mr. and 
Mrs. Thomsen, the only missionaries in the station, on account of 
ill health. The chaplaincy has been supplied by Mr. Darrah, 
who, with the assistance of Mr. Thomas Scott, a young gentleman 



302 



SINGAPORE. 



Saturday evening. May 25th, 1833, I embarked 
in the Cambridge, Captain Barber, for England. The 
want of multiplied comforts and medical attendance, 
only to be enjoyed in large ships, and quite indis- 
pensable in my precarious state of health, determined 
my choice, or rather precluded all choice, in the 
selection of a vessel, A few days after leaving Sin- 
gapore we made the coast of Borneo, and kept that 
island in sight for nearly a week. 

engaged in commerce, has resumed some of the schools. I am. 
happy to find that the American Board of Foreign Missions have 
recently occupied this field, and intend making Singapore their 
principal station in these countries. The printing apparatus, having 
fonts in two or three languages, has been purchased, and mis- 
sionaries sent forth. 



303 



CHAPTER XIV. 

ISLANDS OF THE ARCHIPELAGO — BORNEO. 

With a single exception, Borneo is the largest island 
in the world. It is more extensive than any king- 
dom of Europe, and, although a wilderness, and a 
vast haunt of savage beasts and men, it possesses 
capabilities of culture and decoration, trafBc, health, 
and wealth, which are scarcely surpassed by any 
locality in eastern Asia. The island is described 
by one"^ who travelled six hundred miles into the in- 
terior, and visited Bagottan, Passier, and Coti, as 
"equal in climate, and superior in productions, to 
any part of Asia he had seen or heard of." This 
gentleman had visited many of the best parts of 
India, and was, on this account, the more capable of 
estimating its relative value. 

The coast throu^-hout its whole circumference is in 



* J. Dalton, Esq., from whose interesting journal these remarks 
are principally taken, and whose extensive observations have gene- 
rally confirmed the reports of other writers. At Singapore, where 
Mr. D. lived ana died, and where his journal was published, his 
authority is relied on. In some other places, where neither the 
man nor the subjects upon which he treats are at all known, it has 
been questioned. 



304 



BORNEO. 



the possession of foreign settlers, who have esta- 
bHshed themselves there at successive periods, and who 
claim the right of possession, as a privilege attached 
to their commercial and physical importance. Bugis, 
Malays, Chinese, and Cambodjians, have each re- 
tained a footing. The Dutch are the only European 
power who have preserved their settlements. The 
whole of the interior, from within a few miles of the 
extreme point of Salatin on the north to Sooloo on 
the south, from near Pontiana on the west to Coti 
on the east, is in the possession of the Dyaks, the 
aborigines of the island ^. 

Owing to their intercourse with more civilized 
strangers, the natives who live in the vicinity of the 
coast differ materially in their spirit and habits from 
their brethren in the interior. They are represented 
as tractable and mild in disposition, but so stupid or 
pusillanimous as to submit to every indignity without 
resistance. They are subject to Moslem chiefs, who 
have established themselves on the banks of the rivers, 
and who of course do all they can to extend their 
authority. The mass of the natives under these sul- 
tans remains unconverted to the Mahommedan faith. 

The population of the interior is cut up into in- 
numerable tribes, who either associate together for 
the sake of pillage and mutual protection, or maintain 

* It is said there are other savages in Borneo distinguished by 
other names than Dyak, though very like them in appearance and 
habits. 



BORNEO. 



305 



a separate independence. The smaller rivers are gene- 
rally in the possession of a distinct tribe ; the larger 
ones, whose banks are sufficiently extensive, are in- 
habited by a number of them. They are described as 
bearing a general resemblance to each other, and being 
very unlike all their neighbours. For symmetry of 
form, strength and agiUty of muscle, and the most 
unyielding courage and endurance, the aborigines of 
Borneo claim a high distinction among their fellow- 
men. The friendly disposition expressed by some of 
their most powerful tribes towards Europeans, pre- 
sents an opening to foreign intercourse and influence ; 
while their active, sturdy habits, so different from 
their Malayan neighbours, furnish a most promising 
field of culture to the Christian philanthropist. 

But, alas ! while this scene glows with moral beauty 
in the distant perspective, the foreground is filled up 
with every wreck and ruin of humanity. With respect 
to the present state of the Dyaks, it would be difficult 
— ^nay, impossible — to find their equals in all that dis- 
graces and degrades human nature. Others are far 
below them in mental and bodily enervation, but we 
read of none so debased in the scale of depravity. 
In unprovoked, unrestrained barbarity, they exceed 
the American Indian, the Charib, and the New 
Zealander. How much they need the blessings of 
Christianity may be gathered from their present mode 
of life. War is their business, murder their pastime, 
and the trophies of cruelty their proudest distinction. 



306 



BORNEO, 



Nothing is too high for their daring, nothing too 
low for their despicable cruelty. All who belong not 
to their confederacy are reputed enemies, whose heads 
they endeavour to secure, at any hazard, and by any 
means. The unfair and savage manner in which they 
prosecute their warlike expeditions, or rather their 
expeditions in search of human heads, is abhorrent 
beyond all parallel. Insulated huts, defenceless cam- 
pongs, unwary fishermen, wretched stragglers, old 
and young of either sex, are alike their prey. The 
men and elder women are inevitably murdered ; the 
young women and children they seize for slaves. 
In an expedition of Selgie, one of the most powerful 
chiefs, which lasted for three months, they took seven 
hundred heads. Such is the importance attached 
to a warrior who possesses many heads, that he takes 
his place in the presence of the Rajah with the air of 
exalted worth ; while those who are destitute of these 
distinguishing trophies, are glad to creep into any 
corner to escape notice. 

Human heads grace the occurrence of every im- 
portant event. They are employed to celebrate a 
Dyak's birth, and to consecrate his marriage ; to 
mitigate his diseases, and to appease his spirit after 
death. Marriage is always referred to the Rajah, 
who calls before him the young man and the father 
of the girl. If the latter can produce ten heads, the 
former must shew half the number, in the expectation 
that when his age equals that of the other, the em- 



BORN EO. 



307 



blems of their bravery will be alike. If the young 
man is unable to produce the requisite number, he 
summons a few friends, and sallies forth in search of 
the deficiency, well aware that if he do not succeed 
his lasting disgrace will be the consequence. Every 
head is submitted to a close examination, and none 
but those of recent victims are admissible. A part 
of the ceremony consists in both parties taking a head 
in each hand, and dancing round each other, with the 
most extravagant gestures, amidst the applauses of 
the Rajah and people. Upon the death of a chief, 
the mound in which the body is deposited must be 
studded with fresh heads, as the most acceptable 
oflfering to the deceased. No warrior can presume to 
make a visit of condolence to the family, without 
bringing at least one head for the occasion. During 
the first year or two, these heads are occasionally 
changed. All kinds of sickness are supposed to be 
under the influence of maligant spirits, whom nothing 
can so well propitiate as human heads. 

What mournful ravages must a custom so prevalent 
and desolating spread throughout this vast island ! 
What numbers of victims are annually required for 
such numberless purposes ! What can prevent a total 
and speedy extermination of all these ignorant, ill-fated 
tribes, if Christian charity slumber much longer over 
their appeals for mercy? In their amusements, and 
sometimes even in their domestic economy, the same 



308 



BORNEO. 



reckless disregard for human life is evinced. They 
are extravagantly fond of cock-fighting, and stake 
almost every thing they can command upon the game. 
If the sum be lost, and not paid within twenty-four 
hours, the winner has a legal right to dispatch his 
debtor, and he generally does it. Upon an expedition, 
if the Rajah's appetite craves fresh meat, and an 
inferior animal is not at hand, one of his train is 
butchered, and served up as a substitute. When the 
men of wealth bury their treasure, which is a com- 
mon custom, they uniformly destroy the slaves who 
assisted them, that the secret of the depository may 
be confined to themselves. 

It is difficult to determine what religious notions 
the Dyaks entertain. They have no apparent dread 
of dying. Their great and only fear is the loss of 
these human heads, and this they deprecate more 
than the majority in Christian lands do the loss of 
their souls. Yet that there are evidently some glim- 
merings of a future state in their darkened minds, 
may be gathered from their burial rites, and from 
other circumstances, which are grounded upon a be- 
lief in the continued existence of the spirit. That 
they have no idea of a retribution for their present 
actions appears very evident from their brutal conduct, 
unless they reverse all natural sentiments of right and 
wrong, or believe that the awards of eternity are to 
be thus reversed. Islamism, which has planted 



BORNEO. 



309 



itself upon their coasts, and succeeded in captivating 
the Bugis, Malays, and neighbouring tribes, has not 
been able to bow these sturdy spirits to its yoke. 

It is said, by some of the older writers, that their 
language contains many words common to the Malay 
and the Sanscrit. They appear to have no written 
characters, as Mr. D. met with but three men who 
could write, and they had been taught the Bugis 
language, and were regarded as prodigies. 

Towards the centre, and inclining to the north, the 
natives are described as still less tractfible — roving 
about the woods, naked and wild — neither dwelling in 
huts, nor cultivating the ground, nor even associating 
with each other. These miserable creatures are hunted 
by the more civihzed Dyaks as an amusement. Their 
infant children, whom the mothers cradle upon the 
pendant branches of trees, are shot like monkeys. 
The captured men are of course beheaded, and the 
women spared only when young. The children are 
taken home and made their drudges. To prevent 
their escape, which their masters declare is inva- 
riable if entrusted with their liberty, they cut off a 
foot, and stick the stump in a bamboo of molten 
damar. This prevents their running, and secures 
their services in paddling the boats. 

The north and north-west coast has seldom, if ever, 
been visited by Europeans. The Bugis and other 
traders affirm that it is by far the richest part of the 
island, containing a dense population, who carry on 



310 



BORNEO. 



an extensive traffic with Cambodjia and the neigh- 
bouring islands. The Cambodjian language is as 
much employed as any other. Near Pontiana are a 
large number of Chinese, wljo work the mines, and 
who are accessible to the Christian missionary. Mr. 
Medhurst visited them a few years ago, and pub- 
lished an interesting account of his tour. 

Borneo might be immediately occupied as a mis- 
sionary field. Our ignorance prevents us from stating 
very definitely its advantages for Christian enterprize. 
No doubt there will be serious obstacles to the work, 
and much self-denial and perseverance will be neces- 
sary in its prosecution ; still there are stations where 
missionaries would be protected, and whence en- 
croachments might be gradually made upon the in- 
terior, until the length and breadth of this extensive 
land w^as possessed. The Romish Propaganda have 
been addressed upon the subject by a child of that 
church, who formerly resided upon the island ; but 
his Holiness, contrary to his usual vigilance and 
promptness of action, has thus far neglected the 
opportunity. The writer met the present Resident of 
Pontiana at Batavia, He says the natives near the 
foreign settlement are heartily sick of Mahommedan 
tyranny, and would gladly exchange their faith to be 
released from their masters. It is supposed that 
there are about two or three hundred thousand Dyaks 
in the vicinity of this station, besides twenty or 
thirty thousand Chinese, and a number of Malays. 



BORN EO. 



311 



He appeared desirous that missionaries should be 
sent, and would no doubt assist in their establish- 
ment. Here^ then, the first mission might be planted. 
Sambas and Banjar-Massin, also in the possession 
of the Dutch, will probably be found equally acces- 
sible and inviting. 

From Mr. Dalton's account, the natives of the-in- 
terior seem very desirous of cultivating an intercourse 
with Europeans. Selgie, the most powerful chief in 
the south-east division of the island, said that he 
would even desist from the custom of cuttino; off 
heads, and submit to Europeans in any thing, if he 
could enjoy the advantages of their trade. Mr. D. 
thinks a traffic with these people would be both prac- 
ticable and profitable. The rich productions of their 
country might be received in exchange for the super- 
abundant articles of European growth and manu- 
facture. Though their object in wishing to form an 
acquaintance with foreigners is purely secular ad- 
vantage, yet it proves that they are far from being 
averse to Europeans, or wishing to keep aloof from 
them : and if an honourable trade is to be a means of 
introducing the Gospel, the time is no doubt ap- 
proaching when the heart of mciny a godly merchant 
will leap at such an enterprize, and his swift ships 
fly upon these errands of mercy. 

It is not to be concealed that the pirates, which 
infest some parts of the coast and the mouths of some 
of the rivers, are numerous and desperate. Plunder 



312 



BORNEO. 



is their only object, force their only law, and destruc- 
tion the only quarter they shew ; but they are chiefly 
confined to the east and south-east coasts, and there 
would be no necessity for going near their districts, 
at least with vessels which would invite and could 
not repel an attack. 

There is a constant trade kept up between Sin- 
gapore and different parts of the coast; and the 
missionary residing at the former place often visits 
their proas, and supplies them with Christian books. 
Here, then, is another opening through which the 
Gospel might be introduced, not only in the way of 
tracts, but by the visits of the living teacher. As in 
the case of Mr. Dalton, these traders might be bound 
to protect the missionary, by the strongest guarantee 
they know of ; and thus he might gain access, under 
a security, which, independent of special protection 
from on high, would afford comparative safety. 



313 



CHAPTER XV. 

CELEBES — SOOLOO. 

Ce LEBEs — a short distance east of Borneo — is another 
island of much importance, and teeming with savage, 
cruel inhabitants. It is remarkable for the martial 
spirit, commercial enterprise, and piratical atrocities 
of many of its inhabitants. The most prominent 
nations are the Bugis, and Macassar, or Mengasar, 
tribes. They speak different languages, or, more 
properly, different dialects of the same language ; 
the written character being nearly the same. The 
language of Goa or Macassar is peculiarly soft and 
easy of acquisition, but not so copious as the Bugis — 
the latter having embodied in their vocabulary a 
greater number of foreign words. The literary com- 
positions in both are numerous. They consist chiefly 
of historical details, written since the introduction of 
Mahommedanism in the early part of the sixteenth 
century, traditions of more early times, romances, 
poetical compositions of love, war, and the chase. 
They have a paraphrase of the Koran, and several 
works translated, most probably, from the Javanese 

p 



314 



CELEBES. 



and Arabic. Each particular state records its public 
events as they occur. 

These nations far surpass the Malays, and many 
other of the neighbouring tribes, in intellectual 
vigour, and various acquirements. Here then are 
advantages for missionary labour, which are seldom 
found among such otherwise barbarous creatures. 
They have extended their commerce from the western 
shores of Siam to the eastern coast of New-Holland. 
Excepting the Arabs, they are the only traders of 
consequence throughout this Archipelago. They 
have the character of fair dealing in trade, but are 
most determined pirates — preying especially upon 
their weaker neighbours, the Malays, whom they 
regard as their inferiors. The Mahommedan religion 
prevails in the south-west, but in the north and 
central parts of the island they are Pagans, or scarcely 
have a religion at all. The aborigines of the island, 
possessing the interior, are strikingly allied in ap- 
pearance and customs to the Dyaks of Borneo. They 
are known by the same name. By the Dutch they 
are called Alforees. The fondness of both for 
cutting off heads is the same — their languages are 
different. 

Mandhaar, on the west coast of Celebes, was 
visited by Mr. Dalton. The mountains are stu- 
pendous, and can be seen at sea at the distance of a 
hundred miles or more. For more than twelve miles 



CELEBES. 



315 



along the shore at the place where he landed, the 
houses almost join each other. The people are in 
general miserably poor, and live upon the meanest 
fare. All the rice which they use is brought from a 
distance of two hundred and fifty miles. None but 
the chief people can afford themselves this luxury. 
The inhabitants generally live upon sago, which, 
though of a coarse quality, grows most luxuriantly, 
and costs the indolence of the natives nothing but 
the labour of collecting it. Cocoa-nuts of the most 
delicious flavour abound. For the distance of seventy 
miles the coast is adorned with cocoa-nut trees, 
extending, in many places, to the base of the moun- 
tains, half a mile from the shore. These constitute 
a chief article of trade, being exported in great 
numbers to every part of the eastern coast of Borneo, 
where very few are produced. 

The common food of the inhabitants consists in a 
great degree of shell-fish. These they take when the 
tide ebbs. The shore is sandy, and the sea retires at 
least four miles ; at which time the whole population 
is in motion, following the water as it recedes, and 
picking up crabs and various kinds of craw-fish. 
When the tide flows again, the different parties get 
into their small canoes and paddle to their houses. 
Fish caught in nets is eaten only by the wealthier 
class, for, though very cheap, it proves too dear for 
those who have nothing to purchase it with. The 
only articles the common people are obhged to buy^ 

p 2 



316 



CELEBES. 



are tobacco and salt ; and to pay for these, all the 
women and children of the community spend their 
time in making sarongs, for which they obtain a suffi- 
cient sum to procure the required articles, and to fur- 
nish the master of the house with a small allowance for 
gambling. The Rajah and his family, and all others 
who can afford it, smoke great quantities of opium. 
They are constantly in a state of stupidity, from the 
effect of this drug, and refuse to see strangers until 
time is given them to recover. They sell their gold- 
dust, in which the Rajah and some of his brothers 
are rich, for nothing but opium, muskets, swivels, 
and gunpowder. 

Maraoodjoo, the principal campong in the district 
of Mandhaar, is the residence of about forty Rajahs, 
each of whom has a separate dominion in the interior, 
although they prefer living together on the coast. 
Their countries produce gold, of which they obtain 
sufficient for their wants. Many of them appear to 
possess a large quantity of this metal, and, although 
cautious in every other kind of expenditure, they 
willingly bring forth any amount to pay for the 
means of carrying on their wars and piracies, and to 
purchase enough of opium to keep them in a constant 
delirium of intoxication. 

From the point of Mandhaar to Kylie, including 
that place, there are about fifty Rajahs, few of whom 
have less than ten proas, and some upwards of a 
hundred. The smallest of these carry one barrel of 



CELEBES, 



317 



gunpowder, the largest five ; besides which they 
always keep a quantity on shore. The large supply 
of this article, in such constant demand, is smuggled 
from Java, and obtained from American vessels near 
Penang. Such is the miserable quality of the powder 
sold to them by the Americans, who employ samples 
of a good quality to deceive them^ that it is necessary 
to prime wnth another kind ; and the muskets are 
composed of such materials, that it is said, that 
being shot at by them is nearly as safe as firing 
them. Still these numerous pirates commit, at times, 
dreadful ravages. Two Dutch vessels were taken by 
them in 1828, and every soul on board murdeied. 
The inhabitants of Kylie are proverbial every where 
for these atrocities. For the last twenty years the 
Rajah has carried on his depredations in these seas, 
and, besides his other captures, has taken many 
Europeans, a few of whom, it is thought, are still 
living in slavery in Borneo. 

No part of Celebes, except Macassar, has been 
conquered by Europeans, In Boni not a foot of 
ground has been retained. Waagoo, or Waju, is still 
less known. All the native states retain their primi- 
tive greatness, and the most enlightened of them 
have never been visited by Europeans. The writer 
met a Dutch officer, who is, perhaps, the only excep- 
tion to the above remark. He had penetrated some 
distance into the interior, and spoke very highly of 



318 



CELEBES. 



the iatelligence and hospitality of one of the native 
queens, whose district he had visited. 

The northern parts of Celebes are inhabited by a 
number of native tribes, who have never been con- 
verted to Mahommedanism, and do not appear to be 
wedded to any heathenish superstitions. They are 
strongly attached to the Dutch, and acknowledge 
them as their superiors and lords. They appear early 
to have attracted the attention of the Christians in 
Holland, and were furnished with a minister, who 
baptized large numbers, and established among them 
schools with native teachers. Still this promising 
field was but scantily supplied with the means of cul- 
ture, and, during the ravages of the French revo- 
lution, it was quite forgotten by the churches at 
home. On the arrival of the first permanent mis- 
sionary of the new era, much interest was manifested 
by the native chiefs, and the descendants of Chris- 
tians, to have schools re-opened among them. Such 
were their predilections in favour of Christianity, 
that in a few years more than six hundred persons 
were admitted into the church. Some of the Rajahs 
offered themselves as instructors of their own people. 
In 1831, Messrs. Reidel and Schwartz, missionaries 
of the Netherlands Society, arrived in the island. 
After exploring the whole country, they fixed upon 
two places for their permanent abode. Mr. Reidel 
remains at Tondano, and Mr. Schwartz atLongowan, 



SOOLOO. 



319 



These brethren are greatly encouraged by their 
prospects of usefulness. The schools in the environs 
of Manado are numerous and increasing, the church 
prospers, and the Lord evidently blesses the labours 
of his servants. The Dutch government has 
greatly aided the missionaries in the prosecution of 
their work. There is also a spirit of improvement 
in the external circumstances of the natives, which 
always accompanies the progress of the pure Gospel. 
We shall soon hear more respecting the great things 
which the Redeemer has done for these poor 
islanders 

Farther to the north lies the island of Sooloo^ and 
a small group known by that name. Though com- 
paratively limited in dimensions, Sooloo is represented 
by Dampier as one of the most interesting islands 
in this part of the world. It is celebrated for the 
large quantity of ambergris thrown upon its shores, 
also for its valuable pearl fishery. Besides these 
sources of wealth, it abounds in wax, gold, birds'- 
nests, beche de mer, and other articles of traffic. 
Writers differ about the number and character of its 
inhabitants. All agree respecting the power of the 
Sultan, whose dominions include the neighbouring 
islands and part of the coast of Borneo. Some affirm 
that it has " a vigorous government, a numerous fleet, 
and an army of fifty thousand well-equipped men, 



* Chinese Repository, vol. ii. 



320 



SOOLOO. 



animated by superstition and united in hatred of the 
Christian name." The Spaniards made two succes- 
sive attempts to reduce it to their authority, but were 
repelled. In a third attack they gained possession, 
but were soon obliged to abandon it. The fourth 
and last effort resulted in their disgrace, and in a 
successful reprisal made by the natives, and some of 
their Mahommedan neighbours, w^ho laid waste the 
Spanish possessions for three years. 

For the speedy conversion of the numerous tribes 
inhabiting the islands of these seas, including the north 
of Borneo, where Spanish influence is not felt, and 
the Roman Catholic religion is not acknowledged, 
we must call upon those who possess the means of 
intercourse and traffic with the nations, and whose 
invaluable talent, it is hoped, will be no longer laid 
up in a napkin. 



321 



CHAPTER XVL 

PHILIPPINE ISLANDS, 

About north-east from Sooloo is situated the 
island of Mindanao — Magindanao of the charts. It 
contains nearly as many square miles as the largest 
of the Philippines. The Spaniards, in the zenith of 
their glory, repeatedly attempted the subjugation of 
this island as well as its neighbours, but were either 
repulsed or soon obliged to abandon their dearly 
gained possessions. In one expedition it is said they 
did not even land, being appalled by the crowd of 
armed natives who lined the shore. They did, how- 
ever, succeed in gaining a footing on its south-western 
part, where they still have a small useless settlement. 
The island is said to be peopled throughout by 
an industrious race of men, many of them from the 
shores of Cambodjia, The captain of a Cochin- 
China junk, w^ho had frequently visited this island, 
and those of the Soolco group, declared that they 
were as thickly populated as any part of northern 
China. i\Ir. Dalton was informed that from Cochin- 
China, and the native states about the mouth of the 
Cambodjia river, more than a hundred proas of dif- 

P 5 



322 



PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. 



ferent sizes sailed directly to Mindanao, and that each 
of them contained from fifty to five hundred emi- 
grants. Whether this be exaggeration or fact, ano- 
ther writer affirms, that the centre and southern 
part of the island, and particularly the shores of its 
numerous inlets and interior lakes, are crowded with 
an immense population." While vessels of respect- 
able size and force, trade without danger at these 
places, depredations are often committed on the de- 
fenceless, both by land and sea.'' The inhabitants 
have a peculiar language, though they understand 
the Malay. Their religion is Islamism. 

To the west lies the island of Palawan, which is 
also said to contain a dense population. Large num- 
bers of emigrants annually arrive, who are obhged to 
spread themselves over other islands* 

Magellan possesses much of the character of the 
two already noticed. 

Including these islands, and extending north to 
the Bashee passage, is the Philippine group. Ac- 
cording to the authority of one ^ who resided some 
time in Manilla, the Spanish possessions extend from 
the Batan islands on the north, to Mindanao on the 
south, and from Paragua or Palawan on the west, to 
the Mariani islands on the east ; but their sovereignty 
over ail these limits is not equally full. The Batan 
jSlands appear to he rather an ecclesiastical than a 

* C. W. King, Esq. from whose manuscript, and a small work 
published a few years ago in India, these extracts are taken. 



PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. 



323 



-civil dependency. The Spanish possessions thus 
defined, comprehend twenty-eight provinces, of the 
greater part of which there are no pubHshed accounts. 
They contain a population of three millions and a 
half. These are generally found along the shores of 
the sea, around the bays, and upon the banks of the 
rivers ; the interior of the larger islands being still a 
dense forest. In the depths of these forests some 
v^retched aborigines still exist, the rehcs of tribes 
dispossessed by their Malayan invaders." 

In a volume published in India, and reviewed in 
the Chinese Repository, it is said that in situation, 
riches, fertility, and salubrity, the Philippines are not 
exceeded. Nature has here revealed, according to all 
that poets and painters have imagined, the unbounded 
luxuriance of Asiatic scenery. The lofty chains of 
mountains, the rich and extensive slopes which form 
their bases, the ever-varying change of forest and 
savannah, of rivers and lakes, the yet blazing volca- 
noes in the midst of forests coeval perhaps with their 
first eruption — all stamp the works of Deity with 
the mighty emblems of His creative and destroying 
power.'' Rice, sugar, coffee, cocoa, hemp, tobacco, 
cotton, indigo, and many kinds of delicious fruit, are 
among the articles of produce which render these 
islands highly valuable. 

Of the numerous inhabitants of the Philippines 
but a few hundreds are Europeans, the remainder are 
Negroes, Malays, Mestizos, and Creoles. 



324 



1PH1L1PPINE ISLANDS* 



The Negroes are doubtless the original inhabitants 
of the islands. They are small in stature, woolly 
headed, and thick lipped ; some black, and others of a 
mulatto complexion. They live in low huts of canes, 
sow rice, maize, potatoes, &c., and come down to the 
neighbouring villages to exchange wax, deer, and the 
fruits of the forest, for necessary articles. They are 
divided into many tribes, and are distinguished by 
peculiar habits and dialects. The most degraded of 
them are described as '* naked vagrants, without 
home, without religion, with no other shelter than 
that which the rocks and trees afford ; satisfying the 
cravings of hunger with wild fruits and unhealthy 
roots ; rarely using their bows on the abundant game 
around them, though ready enough to draw them 
against their fellow-men. Covered from head to foot 
with loathsome scurf and eruptions, their longest life 
rarely exceeds forty years. The oldest of them is 
recognised as chief. They inter their dead with a 
flint, steel, and tinder, a hatchet, and a piece of 
venison ; and the passenger is obliged to leave at the 
grave a part of what he has obtained in barter, or 
caught in the chase.'' 

'*The Malays, or Indians as they are called by the 
Spaniards, appear to have emigrated to this country 
at difFerent times, and from different parts of Borneo 
and Celebes. Those of the provinces are a proud- 
spirited race of men, possessing all the elements of 
greatness, though for three hundred years they have 



1>HILIPPINE ISLANDS. 



326 



been ground to the earth by oppression, their spirit 
tortured by abuse and contempt, and brutalized by 
ignorance." The same writer describes the Indian 
as brave, tolerably faithful, extremely sensible of 
kind treatment, and feelingly alive to injustice and 
contempt ; proud of ancestry, which some of them 
carryback to a remote epoch ; fond of dress and show, 
hunting, riding, and other field exercises : but prone 
to gambling and dissipation. He is active, industri- 
ous, and remarkably ingenious. He possesses an 
acute ear, and a good taste for music and painting, 
but little inclination for abstruse studies. He has 
by nature excellent talents, but these are useless 
from want of instruction. The little he has received 
has rendered him fanatical in religious opinions; and 
long contempt and hopeless misery have mingled with 
his character a degree of apathy, which nothing but 
an entire change of system and long perseverance will 
efface from it." This, however, does not exhibit the 
worst features of the Indian character. 

Under the name of Mestizos are included not 
only the descendants of Spaniards by Indian women, 
but also those of Chinese, who are in general whiter 
than either parent, and carefully distinguish them- 
selves from the Indians. The Mestizos, with the 
Creoles of the country, like those of all colonies when 
uncorrected by a European education, inherit the 
vices of both progenitors, with scarcely any of the 
virtues of either. Their character has but few marked 



326 



PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. 



traits. The principal ones are vanity, industry, and 
trading ingenuity. Money is their god. To obtain it 
they assume all forms, promise and betray, submit to 
every thing, trample and are trampled on. All is 
alike to them, if they can obtain their end. And 
when their wishes are crowned, they dissipate their 
wealth in law-suits, firing cannons, fireworks, illumi- 
nations, processions on feast days and rejoicings, in 
gifts to the churches, and in gambling. This ano- 
maly of action is the business of their lives. Too 
proud to consider themselves as Indians, and not 
sufficiently pure in blood to be acknowledged as 
Spaniards, they affect the manners of the last with 
the dress of the first, and, despising, are despised by 
both. Such are the three great classes of men which 
may be considered as natives of the Philippine islands. 
The Creole Spaniards, or those whose blood is but 
little mingled with Indian ancestry, pass as Spaniards. 
Many of them are respectable merchants, and men of 
large property, while others are sunk in all the vices 
of the Indians and Mestizos." 

^' The Chinese residents retain here, as in every 
place, their national character — active in business, 
and not above its meanest minutiae ; winning their way 
by pliancy and presents ; unprincipled in acquiring, 
and gross and sensual in enjoying their gains. Their 
close combination, and large share in the most profit- 
able and least laborious employments, have always 
brought on them the envy and hatred of the Indians. 



PHILIPPINE ISLANl)S. 



327 



Upon the complaints of the latter, Government has 
been led to treat them severely. Yet they have proved 
themselves serviceable to the country and its other 
inhabitants. Few of them are men of much property, 
though doing a great proportion of the commercial 
business of the country. They procure licences to 
remain, receive baptism, become Roman Catholics, 
iatermarry, and hold property; but when able to return 
to China, they appear not to regret leaving their 
families and their faith behind. Their number is 
probably twenty thousand, which is a mean between 
the low official estimate and common opinion.*' Such 
is the feeling of hostility towards the Chinese, that 
they have had their commerce interrupted, have been 
expelled from the island, and sometimes slaughtered 
in great numbers. 

'* That this highly favoured country should have 
remained till the present day almost a forest, is a cir- 
cumstance which has generally excited surprise, and 
has been attributed to the indolence of the Spaniards 
and Indians ; but this is a superficial view of the sub- 
ject. The true reason is, because there is no secu- 
rity for property. Does an unfortunate Indian scrape 
together a few dollars to buy a buffalo, in which con- 
! sists his whole riches? — woe to him if it be known, 
and if his house stand in a lonely situation : he is 
infallibly robbed. Does he complain, and is the 
tobber caught? — in a short time he is let loose again, 
to take vengeance on his accuser, and renew his 



328 



IPHILIPPINE ISLANDS. 



depredations. Hundreds of families are yearly ruined 
in this way. The imperfect mode of trial, both in 
civil and criminal cases, lays them open to a thousand 
frauds.'' 

That which, in the history of these islands, is most 
to be deplored, and which has been perhaps the prin* 
cipal cause of the ferocity and treachery which in the 
East characterize Manilla men is their religion. 
''The Church of Rome has here proselyted to itself 
the entire population. The natives have become 
bigoted Papists. The services of the church are ad- 
ministered by nearly one thousand frailes, curas, 
cleros, &c. ; the first offices being held by the Spanish 
clergy." At the head of this colonial establishment 
is an archbishop, who has three suffragans, and two 
hundred and fifty Spanish clergy, besides about eight 
hundred natives. The influence of these priests is 
unbounded. They hold the minds of the miserable 
natives in complete subjection, while they themselves 
are the slaves as well as the patrons of iniquity. 
Their ministrations are confined to the altar and the 
confession-box. Common report attributes to the 
priests lives deformed with the grossest immoralities. 
In the obscurity of their parishes, much concealment 
to their licentious conduct is not attempted, nor have 



* Such is the revengeful and sanguinary character of these men, 
that it is said to affect the insurance of the ships in which they are 
employed. The massacre of 1 820 illustrates the ferocity of their 
character. 



PHTLIPPIISE ISLANDS. 



329 



the majority of thera refinement enough to think it 
becoming/' 

One source of vice and poverty among the na* 
tives, is the number of religious observances im- 
posed upon them. **The church has marked out, 
exclusive of Sundays, above forty days in the year, 
on which no labour must be performed throughout 
the island. Besides these, there are numerous local 
feasts, in honour of the patron saints of towns and 
churches. These feasts invariably end in gambling, 
drinking, and debauchery of every description." 

While the Spaniards retain the possession of these 
islands, and the priests bear the rule, we scarcely see 
how any efforts can be made for the spiritual welfare 
of the natives. The importation of Bibles is strictly 
prohibited. Every ship is searched, and the most 
serious consequences might result to those who in- 
curred the displeasure, or even the suspicions, of the 
priests. The city of Manilla, which contains some 
forty thousand inhabitants, and is described as an 
agreeable tropical residence, would be a most advan- 
tageous post for missions. Let every Christian pray 
that the power of the Beast may be destroyed, and 
the sceptre of Jesus extended over these perishing- 
souls. 



330 



CHAPTER XVII. 



LOO CHOO ISLANDS. 



North-east from the Philippine islands is situated 
the Loo Choo group, of which such interesting ac- 
counts have been furnished both by European and 
Chinese voyagers. There are about thirty-six of these 
islands, subject to the same Government, though all 
very limited in dimensions. The largest is only fifty 
miles long, and twelve or fifteen broad. Like many 
of the other islands described, some of these are repre- 
sented as beautiful spots. From a commanding 
height above the ships/' says an English writer, " the 
view is in all directions picturesque and delightful. 
On the one hand are seen the distant lands rising from 
a wide expanse of ocean ; while the clearness of the 
water enables the eye to trace all the coral reefs which 
protect the anchorage immediately below. To the 
south is the city of Napafoo — the vessels lying at 
anchor in the harbour, with their streamers flying — 
and in the intermediate space appear numerous 
hamlets, scattered about on the banks of the rivers 
which meander in the valley beneath. Turning to 
the east; the houses of Kint-ching, the capital city, 



LOO CHOO ISLANDS. 



331 



built in their peculiar style, are observed, opening 
from among the lofty trees which surround and shade 
them, rising one above another in gentle ascent to the 
summit of a hill, which is crowned by the king's 
palace ; the interesting grounds between NapofF and 
Kint-ching — a distance of some miles — being orna- 
mented by a continuation of villas and country- 
houses. To the north, as far as the eye can reach, 
the higher land is covered with extensive forests. 
The climate is also said to be one of the most pro- 
pitious in the world." 

But it is not only the scenery and salubrity of these 
islands which interest those who visit them. The 
inhabitants themselves, though small in stature, and 
effeminate in appearance, are uniformly described as 
persons of great intelligence and address. Their 
politeness exceeds, if possible, that of the Chinese : it 
extends through all classes of society, and often leads 
to such compliments and professions of friendship as 
quite nonpluss the other party, They shew more 
good sense," says a visitor^ whose knowledge of the 
Chinese nation is extensive, " than we had ever seen 
in China. By their questions respecting the trade 
which several European nations carried on at Canton, 
they discovered much geographical knowledge. They 
were able to converse on politics with great volubi- 
lity." 

We cannot, however, from the accounts of subse- 



* Mr. GutzlafF. 



332 



LOO CHOO ISLANDS. 



quent writers, fully confide in that high estimate of 
their character which the first English visitors formed. 
Owing to the novelty of their circumstances, they no 
doubt acted an assumed part, and made every thing 
appear to the best advantage before their polite guests, 
Mr. Gutzlaff declares that " they did not hesitate to 
tell us lies whenever it suited their purpose ; but they 
were as ready to retract what they had uttered. Upon 
inquiry, we found that they had among them the 
same severe punishments as at Corea ; that they pos- 
sessed arms likewise, but are averse to using them/' 
Still, he, as well as all others, represent them as among 
the finest specimens of unchristianized men. 

From a Chinese account, it appears that one of 
their ancient kings 'Maid the foundation of his king- 
dom by military force ; and that till this day there is, 
in a temple dedicated to him, an arrow placed before 
the tablets on which his name is inscribed, which 
tradition says is in conformity with his dying will, to 
shew that his kingdom was founded by military 
prowess 

According to this account, the supreme power is 
in the hands of the prime minister, who is absolute. 
All affairs of the revenue, the designation of the army, 
and the infliction of punishments, are under his con- 
troul, although the form of reporting to the King, and 
receiving his sanction, is observed/' This accounts 
for the idea suggested to Captain Maxwell, of having 



* Indo-Chinese Gleaner, vol. ii. 



LOO CHOO ISLANDS. 



333 



the minister address the King of England. The letter 
was decHned, because it did not come from the Loo 
Choo King. They have derived from China the 
division of their officers into nine ranks ; and they 
have drawn up a compendium of law, from the Chinese 
penal code. 

The majority of the people, as in Japan, under- 
stand the Chinese character, but do not know^ how to 
read it in the Mandarin dialect. Their own language 
seems greatly to resemble the Japanese. The alpha- 
betical writing is nearly of the same form, and the 
letters, with a very few exceptions, are pronounced in 
the same way. In imitation of the Chinese system, 
district schools have been established by the King, 
and the examination of students is conducted on the 
same plan. The King gives them an occasional ban- 
quet, by way of encouragement. They have set up 
the image of Confucius, and study carefully the com- 
mentary of Choo-foo-tsze. The readiness with which 
they acquire a smattering of the English language, 
evinces an uncommon share of intellect, as well as 
of tact in its employment. I was much surprised," 
says a visitor, to find a person in such a spot speak 
tolerable English, and was answered to my inquiries 
on that subject, that an English ship had been at the 
islands three years before, and remained a few days, 
in which time he (the interpreter) had learned what I 
now heard." 

Their religion is that of Budha. They have none 



334 



LOO CHOO ISLANDS, 



of the sect of Taou-sze. There are nuns among them. 
They had temples in the thirteentli century, the 
foundations of which have long since disappeared. 
They have imitated what they saw in China, and 
have even imported her idols, — the queen of heaven 
and others. According to their accounts, a priest of 
Budha was driven on their island in a boat about 
A.D. 1275. They knew not whence he came ; but 
he commenced a line of priesthood, which has been 
kept up ever since. As in China, they have those 
among them who pretend to point out propitious spots 
for graves, though none of them profess to understand 
astrology. There is every reason to believe, that, as 
a nation, they care very little about their supersti- 
tions. " When they heard that we did not worship 
idols," says Mr. GutzlafF, " they replied, 'We also 
abhor this worship ; those which you see here are the 
property of the Budhists, and we do not batter our 
heads against them.' This has been the general reply 
of many Mandarins, when I inquired upon this sub- 
ject. They disavow practical idolatry, because their 
reason disapproves of the theory ; yet they do, in 
fact, persevere in their unreasonable worship." 

Their refusal to allow Europeans to trade, and the 
pains they uniformly take to prevent intercourse with 
strangers, have probably been dictated by their more 
powerful neighbours. We do not doubt," says the 
writer already quoted, that they have received strict 
orders from China to keep strangers aloof, and to 



LOO CHOO ISLANDS. 



335 



treat them with distance and reserve ; yet they were 
too goad-natured to confess it." If by dint of per- 
suasion, sour looks, or even lying, they can keep 
foreigners from landing, it is always done. Their 
reason for rejecting the application of the Lord 
Amherst'' to trade, was because their country was 
poor, and unproductive of any thing which they could 
give in exchange for our imports ; that, besides, they 
had never traded with the English, and therefore this 
would be an innovation contrary to law." In this 
case, however, they had those to deal with, who, 
though they did not insist upon trading, were too 
well acquainted with the nature of such prohibitions 
to be frightened by them; and who, contrary to their 
wishes and whims, landed when, and wandered where, 
their inchnations prompted. They objected, as they 
had done before, to the distribution of books ; but 
their objections were overruled by the same system of 
apparent forwardness and unyielding perseverance 
which had been adopted among the Chinese. 

There is every reason to believe that here, as in 
China, the people would be favourable to foreign in- 
tercourse, and that all the opposition to it originates 
with the Government. When the Mandarins were out 
of the way, the people received books and presents 
with great eagerness. Whenever we gave any thing 
privately, they would gladly accept it, though they 
took the books in preference; but every thing openly 
offered them was always declined. The practice of 



336 



LOO CHOO ISLANDS. 



medicine drew crowds of patients, who felt the supe- 
riority of our medical skill, and received Christian 
books with gladness.'' 

The inquiry remains, in reference to these interest- 
ing heathen, What shall be done, what ought to be 
done, for their eternal welfare ? How shall these lovely 
islands be reduced to the dominion of Christ ? Might 
not ships visit them ? — might not their objections to 
an honourable trade be annulled ? — ought we not to 
distribute freely among them the written word ? And 
who knows but that the living teacher might force 
himself upon them, soon dissipate their groundless 
fears, and prove to them the advantages of his pre- 
sence and influence ? They must soon be annexed 
to the kingdom of Jesus ; and it is high time that the 
children of the kingdom should attempt some plan 
for their immediate advantage. Ye merchantmen, 
who have found the Pearl of great price, to you ano- 
ther appeal must be made : When will you connect, 
with the system of missionary societies, missionary 
agents, and missionary presses, that of missionary 
ships f 



337 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

JAPAN, 

Still farther to the north is the kingdom or empire 
of Japan, which occupies a surface of more than one 
hundred and twenty thousand square miles, and 
contains a population of about twenty or thirty 
millions of souls. It consists of three large islands, 
Niphon, Kiusiu, and Sikokf, surrounded by a mul- 
titude of smaller ones, and in the vicinity of others, 
stretching northward, over which they exercise a 
partial dominion. According to M. M. Brun, ^'the 
whole country is full of mountains and hills, and its 
coasts are beset with steep rocks, which are opposed 
to the waves of a stormy ocean. The plains are per- 
vaded by numerous rivers and small streams. The 
hills, the mountains, and the plains, present the inte- 
resting picture of humaa industry amid the traces of 
the revolutions of nature. These islands experience, 
by turns, the extremes of heat and cold. The summer 
heat is frequently alleviated by sea breezes. In 
winter the north and north-west winds are exceeding- 
ly sharp, and bring along with them an intense frost. 
During the whole year the weather is variable, and 

Q 



338 



JAPAN. 



much rain falls in the rainy season, which begins at 
Midsummer. These genial rains conspire with human 
labour and manure to overcome the natural sterility 
of the soil. Every spot is under cultivation, with 
the exception of the most impracticable mountains. 
Exempt from feudal and ecclesiastical exactions, the 
farmer cultivates the land with zeal and success.*' In 
the hands of such laborious husbandmen, the country 
is rendered exceedingly productive. It is said that 
the tea shrub grows without culture in the hedges. 
Precious metals and minerals also abound. 

There are a number of large towns in the empire, 
some of which contain a population of several hun- 
dred thousands of souls. The Japanese are short 
and muscular in form, though graceful in their ac- 
tions, and exceedingly polite. The complexion of 
the people varies, as in China. The women of distinc- 
tion, who are seldom exposed to the sun and air, are 
as fair as European ladies : there is, however, very 
little beauty among them. Large heads, short necks, 
broad snubby noses, and oblong, small, and sunken 
eyes,'' constitute the features of the majority. The 
mode of wearing their hair, and the quantity of oiled 
paper in which they wrap themselves for their jour- 
neys, render them rather ludicrous objects. 

According to some travellers, the laws of the 
country are few, and executed with the utmost rigour, 
and without respect of persons ; only that the rich, 
when found guilty, are allowed to get off by paying 



JAPAN. 



339 



pecuniary fines. Delinquencies of trifling magnitude 
are punished with death. The moral education of 
the children being a political duty, parents are ren- 
dered accountable for the crimes of those whose early 
vices they ought to have repressed. In each village 
there is a place surrounded by palisades, containing 
in the middle an inscription, in large characters, con- 
sisting of a code of police regulations. The punish- 
ments in the seventeenth century were marked by 
the utmost cruelty. Hacking criminals to pieces — 
opening their bodies with a knife — suspending them 
by iron hooks in their sides — or throwing them into 
boiling oil — were common modes of execution. As 
in many other unchristianized nations, one is made 
responsible for the offences of another ; and famihes, 
and entire villages, are visited with the extremity of 
punishment for the fault of an individual.'' 

The language of Japan is distinct from that of China, 
though the educated class understand the Chinese 
character, and read books in that language. Their 
own is alphabetic, apparently made up of distinct 
parts of the complicated signs employed in China. 

There are two rehgious sects in this country, that 
of Sinto, and the followers of Budha. The first ac- 
knowledges a Supreme Being ; but imagines that he 
is too exalted to receive the homage of men, or to 
have a regard for their petty interests. A large me- 
talic mirror is placed in the middle of their temples, 
to remind the worshippers, that, as every spot on the 

q2 



340 



JAPAN. 



body is there faithfully represented, the faults of the 
soul are seen with equal clearness by the eyes of the 
Immortals. The feasts and ceremonies of their wor- 
ship are agreeable and cheerful, because they consider 
their deities as beings who take pleasure in dispensing 
happiness. Budhism here is said to be so mixed 
with the Sinto, or old religion of Japan, that it is 
difficult, and perhaps will become in time impossible, 
to make any discrimination between the votaries of 
the two." 

The Jesuits, and other Romish orders, made trial 
for nearly a century to propagate their faith in Japan. 
As early as 1549, they commenced their proselyting 
operations in this remote part of the world. Their 
early success stimulated them to great attempts ; 
several governors and tributary kings openly professed 
Catholicism ; and in one district the Jesuits obtained 
the entire prohibition of every other rehgion. But 
their triumph was short. A persecution, almost as 
barbarous and bloody as some of their own, com- 
menced, and raged with such fury that tens of thou- 
sands were massacred ; their faith was expunged, and 
their very name made a term of infamy to this day. 
The distresses they endured are ascribed to various 
causes : the poiitieal intrigues of the Jesuits, and 
other measures suggested by a presumptuous confi- 
dence in their own influence, are among the most pro- 
bable reasons. Some affirm that the captain of a 
Portuguese vessel, which was taken by the Japanese, 



JAPAN. 



341 



represented the missionaries as minions of the Por- 
tuguese Government, sent to prepare the way for 
their conquests. Others suppose that something ought 
to be attributed to the commercial jealousy of the 
Dutch, but upon what ground this allegation is 
made we are not informed. 

Our usual inquiry has yet to be made. What can 
be done for the salvation of this kingdom ? Notwith- 
standing all the rigour of their exclusive laws, mer- 
chants trade along their coasts, and come in contact 
with great numbers of the natives, among whom the 
bread of life might be distributed, and perhaps the 
living teacher reside. 

The following statements are extracted from the 
journals of captains who felt an interest in the propa- 
gation of Christianity, and who wrote to the late 
Editor of the Indo-Chinese Gleaner on the subject. 
The ship from whose voyage the first statement is 
taken, had been lying at Nangasaki, in the island of 
Kiusiu, the only place in which foreign vessels are 
allowed by law to anchor. Even this limited privilege 
is at present confined to the Dutch and Chinese na- 
tions. After quitting Nangasaki, they landed occa- 
sionally at the villages on the coast, and were courte- 
ously received by the inhabitants, who were very 
numerous, and poor, with large families of children." 
They describe Jesso, one of the islands alluded to, and 
situated north of Niphon, as extensive, and inhabited 
by a mild and inoffensive race of men. They are sub- 



342 



JAPAN. 



ject to the Japanese, who have a large city on the 
south coast of the island, and are, no doubt according 
to instructions, averse to intercourse with foreigners. 

The Sagalien peninsula is situated immediately to 
the north of Jesso, from whence it is distant, in one 
part, but a few miles. The middle districts of the 
islands are yet in the possession of the natives, with 
whom, no doubt, a missionary might reside in as 
much security as among more civihzed nations. Per- 
haps the best expedient which could be adopted to 
plant a mission among them, would be to ask per- 
mission at one place ; and, if refused, to proceed to 
another, and another, until every one is tried which 
held forth the probability of success ; and then, if 
the application is rejected by all, to land and stay 
without leave.'^ 

Another captain, who visited the famous capital of 
Jeddo, or ledo, and who applied for permission to 
trade, gives a most interesting account of the place 
and its inhabitants. They were obliged to land their 
arms and ammunition, dismantle the ship, and sub- 
mit to the closest possible surveillance. At first 
our visitors were too numerous, and constant ; but after 
the first day strangers were kept from us, and not 
even allowed to come afloat ; however, the shore was 
daily crowded with spectators, a very great majority 
of whom were females," On the fourth day I was 
gratified by a visit from two interpreters, one of whom 
was a perfect master of the Dutch language, and the 



JAPAN. 



343 



other knew something of Russian ; each could speak 
a little English.'' Their inquiries manifested consi- 
derable acquaintance with the world, and especially 
with its politics. Russia, France, England, and 
Holland, were all subjects of conversation and in- 
quiry. After their application to trade was, as usual, 
refused, every thing was returned to the ship, and 
she was towed out of the bay by about thirty boats. 
'* Expressing the hope," continues the Captain, " that 
I might be allowed to leave with the interpreters 
some trifling remembrance, they answered, that the 
laws of the empire were so strict that they could not 
receive any thing whatever. I believe that all parties 
regretted the circumstances under which we were 
quitting each other* The shore was not only thronged 
with spectators, but many hundreds came by water 
to the neighbouring shores, to gratify their curiosity 
by a sight of the strange vessel. We were scarcely 
quitted by the tow-boats, when some of these persons 
approached very near, and at length accepted our 
invitation to come on board. Our decks were soon 
thronged in such a manner that I was glad to see a 
guard-boat pull towards us for the purpose of dis- 
persing the crowd, by whom it was no sooner recog- 
nised than they fled in every direction : however, 
many quickly returned ; and when we would point 
out a guard-boat afterwards, some would merely 
laugh, and say that they did not care for it ; whilst 
at other times they would quit, and give us to under- 



344 



JAPAN. 



stand that they were afraid of being destroyed. In 
the course of that day and the following we had not 
less than two thousand persons on board, all of whom 
were eager to barter for trifles. Among other things, 
I had the pleasure of obtaining some little books, 
and other specimens of the language, and distributing 
amongst our visitors two copies of the Chinese New 
Testament, together with some tracts written in Chi- 
nese, which language appears to be pretty generally 
understood in Japan. If inclined to set any value 
on ideas which can be formed concerning the hearts 
of men, especially of men so accustomed to disguise 
their feelings as we are informed the Japanese are, 
I would say, with much confidence, that our dismissal 
was universally regretted." 

Here we have the same modes of benefiting this 
nation suggested, which have been so successfully em- 
ployed by recent missionaries in China. The one is, 
acting against their cobweb prohibitions, where their 
salvation is concerned ; and the other, freely distri- 
buting religious books among them, A third mode has 
been mentioned, in which the missionaries fully con- 
cur, and that is, to go among them— if you can, with 
their permission ; if not, without it — and to make the 
important experiment, whether our fears and their 
vetoes necessarily interfere with our duty and their 
eternal happiness. When a nation's laws are opposed 
to the laws and the glory of the King of kings, which 
must be set aside? If our object was the extension 



JAPAN. 



345 



of an earthly kingdom, there might be some doubts 
whether we ought to disregard the regulations of an 
empire ; but as long as those whom we oppose are 
opposed to the Sovereign of heaven and earth, to 
their own happiness, and to the best interests of the 
universe, we may dismiss all apprehensions, while we 
look simply at the command, Go ye into all the 
world, and preach the Gospel to every creature ^.'^ 
Besides, the policy of kings in this case is as ob- 
noxious to the wishes of their subjects as it is fatal 
to their welfare. We find that at Japan, the Loo 
Choo islands, and China, the people are favourable to 
a free intercourse with other nations. Let ships, then, 
be sent forth with such articles of traffic as may be 
useful to the heathen, accompanied by missionaries 
and physicians, who can benefit their souls and 
bodies, and who will go in and dwell among them. 



* Mark xvi. 15. 



346 



CHAPTER XIX. 



CONCLUSION. 



In conclusion, the writer would ask forgiveness— if it 
be a fault — for having wandered so far from the route 
of his journeyings. His object has not been simply 
that of a traveller. He was sent forth, as a *^ mes- 
senger of the churches/' to learn the condition of 
those kingdoms and islands, which, belonging to the 
Saviour, the church is commanded in the name of 
her Sovereign to occupy. Whatever may be the 
impressions produced upon the minds of the Christian 
public by reading the accounts here collected — how- 
ever difBcult and discouraging the accomplishment 
of the duty may appear — still their obligations re- 
main imperative, the command of their Saviour unre- 
voked, and the condition of the vast majority of their 
race inexpressibly wretched « The talent by which they 
might effect a world's salvation has been laid up in 
a napkin," until men have forgotten that it was ever 
entrusted to them. This talent they are now called 
upon to exercise. The slumbers of ages have been 
broken, the dreams of God's people dissipated, and 
the overpowering conviction begins to flash upon every 



CONCLUSION. 



347 



candid mind, that there are sufficient means in the 
possession of Christians to convert all nations, and 
that, probably, long before the close of the present 
century. Of course we speak with a reference to the 
self-multiplying nature of our agency; and still more 
to the exercise of that Almighty Power on which alone 
we depend, and which we believe would attend it. 

These means are diffused among all Christians, 
though in unequal proportions ; so that he who does 1 
nothing in this work cannot be guiltless, whatever 
may be his circumstances, or his sentiments. From 
the command of God's word, and the history of many 
past centuries, we conclude that much more must 
be done than has ever been attempted, or even thought 
practicable. The minds of Christians must be en- 
lightened on this subject — their hearts enlarged — 
their purses opened — their energies and influence 
combined. No longer must we sing with deceitful 
lips, 

All that I am, and all I have, 
Shall be for ever thine ; 
Whatever my duty bids me give, 
My cheerful hands resign." 

No longer must we believe ourselves Christians, and 
yet disregard the unequivocal declaration and express 
command, Ye are not your own, for ye are bought 
with a price : therefore glorify God in your body and 
in your spirit, which are God's 



* 1 Cor. vi. 19, 20. 



348 



CONCLUSION. 



The reproach of eighteen centuries must be wiped 
away from the sacred office of the ministry, that all 
seek their own, not the things which are Jesus 
Christ's ^ With a world before us, and the pro- 
spect of the greatest usefulness in its most distant, 
desolate corner, no man* must imagine himself guilt- 
less in any other place. While the claims of other 
countries are as powerful as those of England and 
America, and the command of Jesus is irrespective of 
places, we must either shew that England and Ame- 
rica are no better supplied than those divisions of 
the world, or that they ought to be so ; or we must 
prove that we are released from a universal command 
—that we have a dispensation to remain at home. 
We do not wish to imply that there is no work, of the 
most important kind, to be done at home — we beHeve 
that the *^ single eye," turn it which way you will, 
beholds but one object. The respective interests of 
the domestic and foreign fields by no means clash ; 
their interests are identical. Still there appears to 
be a conflict, and one whose din is too loud not to be 
distinctly heard. Whence, then, its origin, and where 
its seat? May it not be, is it not, between the dic- 
tates of a half-sanctified inclination, and the demand 
of a half-suppressed conscience ? We magnify what 
our judgment convinces us is comparatively small — 
we wish to believe of invisible dimensions what we 
must close our eyes not to behold. 



*Phil, ii. 21. 



CONCLUSION. 



349 



Let the zeal of the infatuated Jesuits shame us into 
action. Their native land and its antipodes were alike 
to them. After my return to Europe/' said one of 
their Chinese missionaries, when my intention of 
seeking labourers for this vineyard was divulged, im- 
mediately there were so many candidates, that there 
is scarce a province of our society from which I have 
not received many letters, from several fathers, not 
only offering themselves, but earnestly requesting me 
to accept of them, as soldiers in this enterprise; as if 
the trouble and pains of these long and dangerous 
voyages, and the persecutions so certainly to be under- 
gone, were as nothing to this undertaking. In Por- 
tugal, from the two colleges of Coimbra and Ebora 
alone, I had a list of ninety persons, so desirous to 
labour in this mission, that many of them have sent 
me very long letters, all written and signed with their 
own blood, witnessing in this manner that they had 
a holy courage that could despise the threats of mar- 
tyrdom ; offering cheerfully to the Lord that little 
blood, as a testimony of the great desire they had to 
shed it all for His sake 

Are there no ministers of the sanctuary whose 
usefulness would be greatly increased by leaving their 
people and their country, and foUow^ing in the steps 
of these blinded men? How many, alas I are content 



* Samedo's History of China, quoted in the Chinese Repository, 
vol. i. page 48f . 



350 



CONCLUSION. 



with a limited sphere of labour, when kingdoms and 
empires lie in utter destitution ! Energies are ex- 
hausted upon trifles, talents are buried ; and men who 
might be exceedingly useful are voluntarily incarce- 
rated. Those who are commanded 'Ho proclaim 
liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison 
to them that are bound," must have this message first 
proclaimed to themselves. The missionary work 
demands the most exalted talent and extensive learn- 
ing,* and, consequently, the arguments employed for 
remaining at home, are the very ones which render 
more imperative the duty of going abroad. It is true 
that the work can accommodate itself to every order 
of talent and acquirement — and so can the highest 
stations in Christian lands ; but the result in both 
cases will be alike. The duty of acquiring languages, 
translating, writing, instructing on all subjects, 
answering all questions, reasoning, devising facilities, 
managing events, in many cases practising medicine, 
and preaching to different classes, often in different 
languages, will soon convince those who make the 
trial, that none can be too well qualified for labours 
among the heathen. We speak not to discourage 
any, but to correct the opinions of some. None need 
despair of usefulness — all who feel constrained by the 
love of Christ should enlist in this service ; — but the 
last objection which ought to be conceived, is, that 
the minds of any are so vigorous and richly furnished. 



CONCLUSION. 



351 



that the most difficult project of earth, opposed by 
all the forces of hell, is not sufficient to employ their 
powers. 

And why is it that so few of our theological stu- 
dents engage in foreign missions? How is it that 
such numbers never prayerfully agitate the question 
of duty on this subject? — never imagine that they 
might possibly be more useful where millions have no 
teacher, than where hundreds are ready to occupy the 
places at which they usually aim ? After all their 
arguments on the advantages of concentrated effi^rt, to 
which we subscribe; and with all the growing de- 
mands of our own country, the supply of which will 
no doubt hasten the universal triumph of the Gospel; 
do they not know, is it not the opinion of all in 
whose judgment they have the greatest confidence, 
that those who go abroad increase, instead of dimi- 
nishing, the effective agency at home ? The spirit 
and the influence of the missionary are among the 
most powerful means of awakening the churches, and 
directing the attention of the young to her highest 
offices. Even the infant's mind is arrested by mis- 
sionary efforts, and thus pre-occupied by feelings 
which in many cases controul its future life. 

We look with peculiar interest to the young men in 
the theological seminaries. We hear of numbers who 
enter these schools under the solemn conviction that it 
is their duty to devote their lives to the heathen : their 
friends, their fellow-students^ the churches, often 



352 



CONCLUSION, 



regard them as virtually set apart to the work : they 
are commended for their zeal — their example is 
employed in stimulating others to high and self- 
denying efforts ; — but, alas ! before they close tUeir 
preparatory studies, when the hour of decision for 
action has come, the hearts which glowed with so much 
ardour have sunk into apathy — the cries of the perish- 
ing are no longer heard, and the subject of missions 
is dismissed, as though their obligations were can- 
celled, the world Christianized. And whence this 
leaving of their first love ? What influence exists in 
the seminaries, which proves so fatal to the hopes of 
God's people and the happiness of his creatures ? 

One cause has been assigned, which we shudder 
to contemplate. It is said, that, in some seminaries, 
those who retain their zeal in the cause of missions 
are classed by their aspiring fellows among the good 
men — in other words, men of an inferior order of 
intellect; — and to escape the imputation of ordinary 
powers, even as combined with elevated piety, many 
are tempted to withdraw themselves from their lessdis- 
tinguished brethren. God grant, for His own honour 
and the welfare of the churches, that this sentiment, 
which breathes so much of the spirit of its inspirer, 
may alarm every mind which it enters ! With whom- 
soever this sentiment exists, we cannot but fear that 
such servants are above their Master. They must 
either beUeve that the very command under which they 
themselves profess to be preparing for the ministry, 



CONCLUSION. 



353 



is not true ; or that Christ has devolved the most diffi- 
cult and important concerns of his kingdom upon the 
feeblest instruments ; or else they ought to perceive 
that, they are indisposed to comply with duty solely 
because it is arduous and self-denying. 

The fact we have stated with respect to the change 
of mind, or rather of feeling, in students, exists, we 
fear, in all theological schools ; the reason assigned, 
we hope, is limited to a very few. What other cause, 
then, may produce this paralyzing effect? Is there 
nothing to be attributed to the influence of Professors? 
We have not heard that any are opposed to foreign 
missions : we know that the talents and influence 
of many are consecrated to this cause : still, is it not 
evident, that either the demands of our own country 
(we s>peak not of our Western missionary field) must 
be exhibited in seminaries as superior to those of 
heathen nations, or else that there must be a great 
declension in the piety of those students who change 
their purpose without the least change of judg- 
ment? With the highest opinion of extensive and 
varied attainments, when sanctified, still we fully 
believe that the salvation of the world depends infi- 
nitely more upon the right principles of the heart, 
than upon any training and furnishing of intellect, in 
which our venerable Professors may assist. The 
diflPerence is this : Piety — we must not confound it 
with a morbid, spurious feeling of that name — piety 
will stimulate to all eflforts, including the culture of 



354 



COIN CLtJSION. 



the mind ; whereas intellect, of any character, engaged 
in the ministry, and not directed by its proper spirit, 
has generally proved of no permanent advantage to 
mankind. We sympathize with those who have 
been called to the responsible duty of preparing the 
leaders of God's people for their high stations; and 
earnestly pray, as tlie churches should pray, that all 
who have such an important direction in the spiritual 
concerns of the world, may be under the especial guid- 
ance of the Holy Spirit. 

One request we would make of each student, be- 
fore leaving this subject — that he would set apart at 
least one entire day, in each year of his course, to 
ascertain by prayer and fasting whether it is his duty 
to remain in the bosom of the church, or to extend 
her rich blessings to those who cannot otherwise enjoy 
them, and who must perish without them. Place 
yourself in imagination before the throne of the Judge; 
gather around you that part of the great assembly 
whom you might influence through direct efforts, or 
an intermediate agency ; and, impressed with all the 
solemnities of that day, let the question of your duty 
be determined ; and so determined that you shall not 
be confounded when the judgment scene is really 
present. Multitudes appear to take it for granted that 
they must remain at home, without examining the 
subject. Whatever may be their specific object in 
entering the ministry, we beg them to consider, whe- 
ther it may not be better gained by the influence they 



CONCLUSION. 



355 



may exert abroad, and from abroad, than by remain- 
ing in their native country. 

But the work of evangelizing the world demands 
more than the labours of the ordained missionary. 
There must be teachers, physicians, merchants, and 
in some places mechanics — Christian communities, 
who can employ all the various means by which the 
heathen may be influenced, and at the same time 
exhibit to them an example of the blessedness in 
which they labour to make them participate. The 
advantage of sending colonies, and not merely mis- 
sionaries, is obvious to all who have been abroad. 
The work would advance in proportion to the variety 
of plans adopted, and the number of instruments 
employed. Commerce and medicine harmonize 
admirably with schools, the press, distribution, and 
preaching. And if native agency is to be efficiently 
engaged in the missionary work, it can never be pre- 
pared with the same facility and perfection as in 
colonies of this description. Besides, labour and 
expense would be greatly economized. Those nu- 
merous domestic duties, which consume so much of 
the time of single missionaries, or families, might be 
devolved upon a few; while the majority of both 
sexes would be at liberty to labour exclusively for the 
heathen. 

Of the hundreds of physicians who take their 
diplomas every year, are there none with the vows of 
God upon them ? none, who will unite in a work so 



356 



CONCLUSION. 



glorious, and where their services are so greatly 
needed ? In many stations they can accomplish more 
than ordained missionaries. They have the best 
passport to the dwellings and hearts of the heathen ; 
they possess a magnet which would attract crowds, 
and reach to places where we can never penetrate. 
While they can accomplish the most important part 
of a missionary's duties, they can do it under much 
greater advantages than those who have not their 
knowledge. Patients feel themselves under obliga- 
tions, and are disposed to comply with any methods, 
which may be devised for their spiritual benefit. 
Congregations have been thus formed, books widely 
distributed, instrumentality increased, and souls 
saved ; besides, the perishing have been rescued from 
death, the suffering relieved, and the hearts of those 
who would have been widowed and fatherless, made 
to sing for joy. 

Every argument which can be addressed to others, 
applies to physicians ; while they have but few of the 
reasons for refusing, which ministers and students 
generally offer. They do not usually remain at home 
from a sense of duty ; they find it exceedingly diffi- 
cult to obtain situations and patronage. Their ser- 
vices may be generally dispensed with, or performed 
by others who would gladly become their substitutes. 
What, then, should prevent numbers from discharging 
this important and imperative duty ? How can they 
deliver their skirts from the blood of souls, if they 



CONCLUSION. 



357 



refuse? If their education have been extensive — if 
they possess much skill and experience — the more are 
they needed, v^here so much may depend upon their 
success. The writer had an application for medical 
aid from the second King of Siam : he was absent 
at the time, and did not return until after the death 
of the King. How readily might a simple effort in 
such instances lead to the most desirable results ! 

Merchants, also, are capable of exerting the most 
salutary influence among Pagan nations. They, too, 
like physicians, usually draw multitudes around them, 
who might be instructed both orally and by books. 
Besides this, they would stimulate to labour, by open- 
ing a current for its proceeds. They would improve 
the habits of the natives, by introducing the useful 
arts and meliorating customs of civilized life. They 
would commend their religion, by exemplifying its 
principles in all their ordinary pursuits. The con- 
nexions which they might establish, and the obliga- 
tions which they could impose, might be employed for 
the spiritual welfare of multitudes. Are there none 
who possess the means of trade, disposed to embark 
their capital in such a cause ? Are there none, whose 
engagements are not so necessary to themselves, nor 
so sufficiently available to the great objects of bene- 
volence, as to prevent them from leaving their country ? 
The churches can furnish numbers unencumbered 
with domestic cares, or, if married, without families : 
what should prevent such from engaging in this, or 



358 



CONCLUSION. 



other useful employments, when they have nothing 
to keep them at home, and many of them need not 
depend upon the Christian public for support 't When 
will the days of primitive Christianity return, when 
every Christian shall consider his possessions as the 
church's property, and himself as a servant of all ! 

The co-operation and influence of ladies are also 
greatly needed in evangelizing the heathen. In many 
countries they alone have access to their own sex. 
The only Christian lady who ever resided at Siam was 
admitted within the palace walls, and among the nu- 
merous wives of the princes and chief men of the 
country. Infant schools and female schools are their 
department 5 and none can succeed as well as they in 
obtaining scholars, and instructing and advising 
mothers. Ladies ought to accompany every mission 
family. The appeal to them is peculiarly affecting: 
it is the language of the oppressed and miserable — 
the united voice of more than one half of their sex. 
The simple controul of mothers over children is 
enough to shew how much the happiness and moral 
habits of a nation depend upon the elevation of fe- 
males. Let this subject, then, enter into the prayers 
and efforts of Christian ladies, and such measures be 
devised, and such teachers sent forth, as shall change 
the condition of the sex, and place them in the sphere 
which, in mercy to the world as well as to themselves, 
they were designed to occupy. 

There is still another class in society, who, if we 



CONCLUSION. 



359 



can judge from external circumstances of Providence, 
are laid under peculiar obligations to devote them- 
selves to this work. There are men of property, who 
are engaged in no business, and who have no peculiar 
obstacles to such an undertaking, ^vhose presence, 
counsels, prayers, and funds, would greatly redound 
to their Saviour's glory in heathen lands. What 
hinders such from employing themselves, and the im- 
portant talent committed to them, in benefiting a 
world ? Has their wealth wholly, or even partially, 
released them from the obligation of glorifying God to 
the utmost of their ability I Has a man born to a for- 
tune, or successful in acquiring one, any greater liberty 
to consult his own pleasure in the disposal of himself 
and his property, than another ? What has he, that 
he has not received?^'' and what has he received 
w^hich he is not bound to minister according to the 
ability which God has given him ; that God in all 
things may be glorified, through Jesus Christ ?f " 

But, without specifying other classes in society, 
we would inquire of all whom God has sanctified to 
Himself, have you prayerfully contemplated the ob- 
ligations under w^hich you lie, to advance the great 
design which brought the Saviour from His throne, 
and for which He now reigns ? If you have lived in 
neglect of this dutv before, ascend now some eminence 
which commands the world — gaze upon the scene of 
desolation and misery, which spreads on every side — 



1 Cor. iv. 7. i 1 Pet; iv. 11. 



360 CONCLUSION. 

hear the appeals for help, from a thousand millions ofl 
souls, multiplying and perishing every hour ; and then, 
with the first prayer of Paul upon your lips, build an 
altar to Jehovah-Sabaoth, and offer upon it "your- 
selves a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, 
which is your reasonable service^." With such a 
spirit and such an offering, the path of duty will be 
made plain. 

To those who feel themselves under obligations to 
remain at home ; who have the evidence of an enlight- 
ened conscience and a directing providence in favour 
of their present lot ; we must still look for most valu- 
able services in the kingdom of Christ. They must 
elevate the standard of piety by example and influ- 
ence — they must furnish the world with suitable men, 
and necessary means — and, above all, they must pray 

for all men ''f always with all prayer and suppli- 
cation in the Spirit J .'^ 

Ye mothers, did you realize your solemn vows and 
unalienable obligations to Christ, when you offered 
your children to Him at the baptismal font ? He ac- 
cepted His own, and returned them, not as yours, but 
to be nourished and educated for His service. Yours 
is a prominent part in the conversion of the world. 
The army which the King of kings and Lord of lords 
is to lead on through successive victory to the final 
conquest of the nations, He looks to you to replenish. 
Oh whatmisery must be endured, what guilt incurred. 



* Rom. xii. 1. ft Tim. ii. 2. t Ephes. vi. 18. 



CONCLUSION, 



361 



if faithless to your charge ! And oh what happiness 
will be diffused in the kingdom of Christ — through 
the heaven of heavens — if your vows are paid, your 
work performed ! 

And ye teachers of the young in Infant Schools, 
Sabbath Schools, and all the various institutions of 
the land, we plead with you, in behalf of the children 
committed to your care, and the millions upon whom 
they are to exert a saving or destructive influence. 
Make their salvation your chief concern, and leave 
no means untried for its attainment. 

In the name of the Saviour, we ask for the co- 
operation of all God's people in hastening His universal 
reign. We would plead with the vvealthy, the learned, / 
the eloquent, the influential — all who can act — all 
who can pray. When every Christian lives for the 
conversion of the world, he will be discharging his 
duty, and the world shall soon be saved. Oh that 
He, with whom is the promise and the power; with- 
out whom agents cannot be qualified, nor agency 
successful ; would soon raise up such men and sug- 
gest such measures, as His Spirit may employ in 
subduing the world to Himself! 



R 



362 



CHAPTER XX. 

VOYAGE TO EUROPE. 

After leaving the coast of Borneo, where the reader 
had the last ghmpse of the ship, we passed through 
the Straits of Sunda, and on the night of the 16th of 
August made the memorable island of St. Helena. 
Early on the morning of the 17th, we found ourselves 
within a few miles of its shore. It is difficult to con- 
ceive any thing more rugged and inhospitable than 
its aspect from this approach : not a tree, scarcely a 
tuft of grass, could be discerned. A flag-staff or 
two, a few small batteries and soldiers' lodgings, were 
all that indicated the presence of man. The rocks, 
running below in perpendicular strata, and above in 
horizontal, had a curious appearance. As we ap- 
proached the side of the island, the hand of man 
became more visible. We were hailed from a rock- 
perched fort, and ordered to send a boat on shore. 
This command, however, was not enforced upon 
hearing AU/s well." About seven a.m. we opened 
James' Valley and Town, and anchored. Here the 
scene changed. The town, crowded into the fissure of 
lofty hills, which seemed torn asunder for the purpose 



VOYAGE TO EUROPE. 



363 



— the forts and dwellings and telegraphs scattered 
over their sides and summits — the laboured and 
winding roads leading up their steep acclivities—the 
detached pieces of ordnance, pointing from the tops 
of the rocks — as well as the trees and shrubbery, 
generally brought from other climes, and giving a 
scanty clothing to some of the elevations — proclaimed 
the triumph of human intellect and art over the most 
insurmountable obstacles of nature. 

As a matter of course, we visited Buonaparte's 
tomb. An order from the Governor admits you with- 
in the enclosure, and entitles you to the attentions 
and tale of the old guard, and to a branch or two of 
the overhanging willows. The tomb is composed of 
tliree granite slabs, placed longitudinally over the 
body. An iron grating surrounds it. Thoughts of 
human grandeur and insignificance, with the high 
and awful considerations of eternity, follow in rapid 
succession, as you tread aver the mouldering reUcs 
of the hero. The struggle of a giant for the universe, 
of an insect for its microscopic kingdom, have the 
same finale. Though this is the man that made the 
earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms,'' yet 
the meanest slaves that have ever left their isfnoble 
dust upon the island, may address him in thesubhme 
strains of the prophet^ — Art thou also become 
weak as we? art thou become like unto us?. . . .How 



*Isai. xiv. 10—12, 



364 



VOYAGE TO EUROPE. 



art thoii fallen from heaven, O greater than Lucifer*, 
son of the morning ! how art thou cut down to the 
ground, which didst weaken the nations !... .The 
worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee/' 
But there is another and more important sense in 
which this equality may be claimed by all from alL 
Low and ephemeral indeed are the envied distinctions 
of earth, when compared with the bright, unfading 
glories of a future world. To pass from the highest 
honours of life into *^ shame and everlas^ting con- 
tempt,'' how awful! — to awaken from the deepes^t 
obscurity, to the dignity of sons of God, how sub- 
lime \ 

We visited Longwood — now a stable, and at best 
a mean, contracted residence. Five rooms, of most 
straitened dimensions, were all the apartments allotted 
him who before had controuled a greater number of 
kingdoms^ 

Such a variety of scenery as burst upon the view 
from every elevated position of this romantic island, is 
seldom to be found within the same compass. The 
situations for country-seats, which adorn the unevert 
face of the high land, are well selected, and some 
spots are in beautiful cultivation. Blooming valleya 
and sterile hills arrest the eye at one turn, and 
smiling hills and barren vales at another. And what 
is more sublime than all, is the vast expanse of 
ocean which this elevation commands, with its varied 

* King of Babylon : see verse 4» 



VOYAGE TO EUROPE. 



365 



lights and shades, spreading in boundless perspective, 
and losing itself high in the distant heavens. 

There are two churches, and two chaplains on 
the island. Our stay was too short to admit of 
forming many acquaintances. I was happy in being 
introduced to two or three persons who evinced 
the spirit of genuine piety, and my short visit was 
much cheered by the very kind and hospitable 
attentions received from the American consul, W. 
Carroll, Esq. 

On the morning of the 18th we weighed anchor, 
and, after encountering a terrific gale off the Western 
Islands, in which the rudder-head gave way, arrived 
in England in the middle of October, after a passage 
of five months. 

For the restoration of health, and in prosecution of 
his missionary duties, the writer visited various parts 
of Great Britain and the Continent. Much interest 
was every where awakened in behalf of the heathen, 
especially the Ultra-Gangetic nations. All felt that it 
was a work which claimed the co-operation of the 
Christian world. 

** The unity of the Spirit " was strongly realized 
while sojouring among the Christians of Great 
Britain, France, Holland, Germany, and Switzer- 
land. With all the differences of customs, languages, 
politics, and sects, all have been baptized into 
one body, and made to drink of one Spirit,'' and all 
agree in the belief that the Saviour looks to his 



366 



VOYAGE TO EUROPE. 



churches for the speedy extension of his kingdom 
throughout the world. Oh, when shall wars cease 
and those barriers of national and ecclesiastical sepa- 
ration, which have so long divided brethren, fall, 
like the walls of Jericho, and lie under the perpetual 
ban of Joshua's great Antitype ! 



622 

FINIS. 



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